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hen it comes to the marriage of form and function, few foods can touch pasta. With a toolbox of shapes, sizes and textures to serve the needs of every specific meal, there’s pretty much no excuse for ever using the wrong noodle in a dish. Looking for a type of pasta that can be stuffed, baked and really hold its sauce? The tubular family — with their hollowed- out interiors and stocky bodies — are what you need. Working with a cream- based sauce and interested in twirling your noodles? It’s a ribbon-cut pasta, like fettucine or stringozzi (literally, “shoelaces”), that will fit the bill. If a pasta is needed for soup or stew, it’s the tini- est varieties, known as pastina, that are going to serve you well. And if you’re simply looking to admire a pasta in all of its ornamental glory, there’s an entire subset of decorative pastas created as an homage to attractiveness over functionality, like foglie di ulivo (pasta shaped like olive leaves) or radiatori — pasta created to resemble, of all things, car radiators. “Centuries of Italian invention, industry, agriculture, hunger and politics have shaped pasta into its myriad of forms and flavours,” writes Jacob Kenedy, co-author of The Geometry of Pasta . “Few (if any) of the [pasta] shapes were designed by any one hand. Instead, subtle differences have increased as methods to prepare modern Italy’s staple food have passed from mother to daugh- ter, neighbour to neighbour and town to town. The startling diversity we wonder at in the natural world is mirrored in microcosm in pasta. Evolution is at work.” The following alphabet of pasta shapes only touches the hem of the garment when it comes to the over 200 (and counting) variet- ies available in Italy, but as you dive into these 26 key iterations (and, hopefully, read the short poems for each out loud), you’ll gain a greater appreciation of the complexity of pasta shapes — from A to Z.

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C Is for Calamarata C is for Calamarata, often dyed with squid ink; Looking like calamari is its major hoodwink. Calamarata’s Personality: Hailing from Naples, cala- marata, a member of the tubular pasta clan, often finds itself dyed with squid ink to masquerade as rings of squid (aka calamari). Best Sidekicks: These stubby, substantial noodles can stand up to thicker sauces, whether meat or vegetable. (Can’t find it in stores? Any sort of thick-cut, tubed pasta can sub for cala- marata in recipes.)

A Is for Anelli A is for Anelli, a pasta every kid knows… Best from the catchphrase, These plucky little pastas are shaped like small rings, giving them strength in numbers and a good deal of pack mentality. They are the pasta featured in that canned lunchtime classic, SpaghettiOs, but don’t worry — they haven’t let the fame go to their head. Best Sidekicks: Anelli typically finds its way into pasta salads or soups, and lends itself to dishes that are scooped up with a spoon. One unique prepara- tion is a pasta cake made out of anelli known as timballo, which looks like a regular savory Bundt cake, but is actually filled with meats and cheese between the crisped-up pasta layers. “Uh-oh, SpaghettiOs!” Anelli’s Personality: B Is for Busiate B is for Busiate, spiraled tight like a screw; Plus they look quite like Shirley Temple’s hairdo. Busiate’s Personality: A wacky-looking form of maca- roni with a helical, winding shape, busiate hails from the Trapani province of Sicily. Best Sidekicks: Not a pasta variety typically seen on grocery store shelves, this noodle is historically served with a special kind of pesto known as pesto alla trapanese, which is made with almonds, tomato, garlic and basil. (Looking for a substi- tute? A thick macaroni — while not quite as topsy-turvy — will do the trick.)

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D Is for Diminutive D is for diminutive — small pastas that are dainty; The kind of snack you want if you’re hungry only faintly. Diminutive Pasta (aka Pastina)’s Personality: So bead-like and so plentiful, this diminutive branch of the pasta family tree — technically referred to as “pastina” — is home to the tiniest pastas out there, whether they appear in star shapes, teensy tubes, mini- macaroni or the smallest possi- ble shells. They are, as you might’ve guessed, quite twee. Best Sidekicks: Since this pasta very closely resembles a grain, it makes a mighty fine pilaf, but take note: It cooks significantly faster than any other pasta.

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