A Definitive Ranking of the Most Popular Noodle Shapes

Pasta can have completely different energies depending on your sauce and noodle choice. Hey—you can even have the same sauce and feel like you're eating two separate plates if you select a macaroni noodle instead of spaghetti.

Sure, you can say they all taste the same, but we'll counter your argument that some noodles are better than others. To show you how your noodles can dictate your eating experience, we've ranked the most popular types of pasta.

7. Shells

Shells are nostalgic. Whenever we indulge, we feel like children again, eating a cheesy bowl of Velveeta's instant mac and cheese. It also means we associate it with a cheap, low-quality meal. Shells often end up being chalky and flaccid. We're practically swallowing our noodles whole rather than being able to savor each bite.

 

Also read about: Celebrate St. Patrick's Day With These Tasty, Festive Fast Food Options

 

6. Macaroni

Macaroni is very inconsistent. You can get a meh version with your average Kraft TV dinner, but it can also be mind-blowing when you order it from a fancy restaurant. However, we probably won't opt for mac and cheese while ordering Italian. There are better noodles that feel more fulfilling out there.

(via Shutterstock)

 

5. Fettuccine

Like most, we associate fettuccine with alfredo sauce. And honestly, we're not huge fans of fettuccine alfredo. If we tried it with other sauces, it might rank higher on our list. For now, it's nothing more than a boring noodle.

 

4. Bowtie

Here's when things get exciting: bowtie pasta, aka farfalle. Why wouldn't you want your food to look like a distinguished gentleman? Its fun shape always makes every meal more exciting. Plus, it works well with almost every sauce.

(via Shutterstock)

 

Also read about: We Tried (and Ranked) the Top Fast Food Chicken Sandwiches

 

3. Spaghetti

Spaghetti and meat sauce is a classic dish. We used to think it was boring, like fettuccine alfredo, but as we've grown older, we've also begun to appreciate the beauty of it more. The noodles are the perfect thickness. They're not teetering on too thick like fettuccine, and you can also use them as a replacement for angel hair pasta—which we have yet to try.

(via Shutterstock)

 

2. Rigatoni

There hasn't been a single rigatoni dish we didn't enjoy. No matter what, it always seems like it is cooked to perfection. Oh, and don't even get us started on the holes. They allow the sauce to enter the noodles, so whenever you bite it, your food is literally bursting with flavor.

 

1. Ravioli

And, of course, we saved the best for last: ravioli.

Ravioli is like the more exciting version of rigatoni. Each noodle is perfectly packed with filling, whether meat or cheese. Then, you have the sauce drizzled over it. Each bite is the perfect ratio of every ingredient while maintaining that firework explosion effect we love in rigatoni. Oh, and one of the best parts about it? It's even better fried.

 

Curious about our other favorite food opinions? Read HERE to discover our official ranking of every Chipotle ingredient.