Pasta just might be the most versatile food out there. Romantic dinner? Pasta. There is Kid’s birthday, Pasta. Soul food to cheer you up? Pasta. Hangover cure? Pasta. The occasion does not matter, pasta is your friend. It is also probably the world’s most accessible food, with every country having its own unique version and twist of the usual pasta recipes.

This is one reason that pasta’s origin is a bit difficult to pinpoint, although the most popular opinion is that Marco Polo brought it to Italy from his journeys in the Far East. The word pasta itself, in Italian, roughly translates to “paste”. This is because the dough is a mix of flour, water, and eggs. This brings us to the second reason it is difficult to pinpoint an origin because the ingredients have been around and been used for centuries.

If you have not googled “types of pasta”, you have never been truly overwhelmed, my friend. The sheer tsunami of pasta information will be too much to process. The funny thing is that I am only exaggerating a little bit. There really are a lot of pasta types. On that note, a visual aid for what is about to follow, try Ocean Grove Pasta.

Spaghetti needs no introduction. It is by far the most popular type of pasta. Mostly because literally, everyone has had spaghetti and meatballs at some point in their lives. Spaghetti is a rounded long noodle-like pasta that pairs well with tomato or puttanesca sauces.

Penne is a classic, tube-shaped pasta with diagonal cuts at the end. It goes really well with creamy pasta combinations and tomatoes, meat, vegetables. No wonder it is a staple. Pappardelle is not as common but is a delicious pasta type, nonetheless. It is usually had with hearty meat sauces.

We are back to the popular pasta types with Macaroni. This omnipresent pasta is a crowd favorite. Especially with kids. They will have macaroni breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It is best served with creamy, cheesy dishes because the hollow tube gets filled with whatever pairing is used to prepare it.

Linguine is much like spaghetti but a bit thicker. Linguine is popular with seafood dishes because of how it is paired wonderfully with clam sauces. Farfalle is beautiful pasta, in both how it is named and its shape. This bow-tie-shaped pasta tastes great with meaty and vegetable pasta combinations. It is also commonly paired with tomato and light vegetable sauces.

You have the very common, spiral-shaped pasta, Fusilli. Fusilli does not discriminate against any kind of sauce. It is deliciously paired with meat and cheesy sauces. Recipes of this type of pasta include things like Pasta Salad, Creamy Cheese, and Fusilli Casserole. No list of pasta is complete without Fettuccine. This ribbon-shaped pasta that pairs with cheese and vegetable sauces is world famous for its popular dish Fettuccine Alfredo.

If all this made your mouth water, then you are not alone. Pasta is such amazing food that it is worth your time knowing what these individual types are, so you know what you’re getting when you order from a restaurant menu.