List of pasta dishes facts for kids

Pasta is a super popular food that comes from Italy! It's a type of noodle usually made from a simple dough of wheat flour and water. This dough is shaped into all sorts of fun forms, then cooked and served in many delicious ways. Sometimes, eggs are added to the dough instead of water, or flour from other grains can be used.

Each traditional pasta dish has its own special kind of pasta, a unique way of cooking it, and a specific sauce. There are so many different versions of these dishes! Pasta is also often added to soups, but these are usually called "pasta in broth" rather than a main "pasta dish."

Pasta comes in different types:

• Dried pasta (pasta secca)
• Fresh pasta (pasta fresca)
• Egg pasta (pasta all’uovo)
• Filled pasta (pasta ripiena), like ravioli
• Soft dough dumplings (gnocchi)

There are also different ways to cook pasta:

• Boiled and sauced (pasta asciutta): The pasta is boiled and then mixed with a yummy sauce.
• Baked pasta (pasta al forno): The pasta is mixed with sauce and other ingredients, then baked in the oven.
• Pasta in broth (pasta in brodo): The pasta is cooked and served in a tasty broth, often made with meat.

Pasta sauces, especially for boiled or baked pasta, usually fall into two main groups:

• Red sauces (sughi rossi): These are made with tomatoes.
• White sauces (sughi bianchi): These don't have tomatoes.

Italian Pasta Dishes

Italy is famous for its amazing pasta dishes, with each region having its own special recipes! Here are some examples:

Dish Name	Picture	Italian Region	What it is
Agnolotti al plin		Piedmont	Small filled pasta (agnolotti) with a rich meat sauce called ragù.
Anelletti al forno		Sicily	A baked pasta dish from Palermo with ring-shaped pasta (anelletti), eggplant, meat sauce, cheese, and peas.
Bigoli in salsa		Veneto	Thick whole-wheat pasta (bigoli) with a sauce made from salty fish and onions.
Bucatini all'amatriciana		Lazio	A traditional dish from Amatrice with hollow spaghetti-like pasta (bucatini), tomatoes, cured pork cheek (guanciale), and Pecorino Romano cheese.
Cacio e pepe		Lazio	A simple but delicious Roman dish with spaghetti, Pecorino Romano cheese, and black pepper.
Cannelloni ricotta e spinaci		Emilia-Romagna	A baked dish with large tube-shaped pasta (cannelloni) filled with ricotta cheese and spinach, covered in tomato sauce.
Cappellacci di zucca ferraresi		Emilia-Romagna	A dish from Ferrara with pumpkin-filled pasta (cappellacci), served with melted butter, sage, and Grana Padano cheese.
Casoncelli		Lombardy	A northern Italian dish, especially from Bergamo and Brescia, with filled pasta (casoncelli), bacon, melted butter, sage, and cheese.
Ciceri e Tria		Apulia	A dish from Salento made with pasta and chickpeas.
Fettuccine Alfredo		Lazio	Fresh fettuccine pasta mixed with butter and Parmesan cheese, creating a creamy sauce.
Gnocchi alla sorrentina		Campania	A dish from Sorrento with soft potato dumplings (gnocchi), baked with Neapolitan ragù sauce, mozzarella, Parmesan cheese, and basil.
Hirtenmakkaroni		Trentino-Alto Adige/Sudtirol, South Tyrol	A dish from South Tyrol with penne pasta, meat sauce (ragù), peas, and ham.
Lasagne alla bolognese		Emilia-Romagna	Famous baked lasagna from Bologna with layers of pasta, Bolognese meat sauce, béchamel sauce, and Parmesan cheese.
Orecchiette con le cime di rapa		Apulia	A dish with ear-shaped pasta (orecchiette) and turnip greens, garlic, chili, and sometimes anchovies.
Pansotti alla salsa di noci		Liguria	Filled pasta (pansoti) with a mix of wild herbs and cheese, served with a creamy walnut sauce.
Pappardelle al cinghiale		Tuscany	Wide, flat egg pasta (pappardelle) with a rich wild boar meat sauce (ragù).
Pasta alla gricia		Lazio	A Roman dish similar to carbonara but without egg, made with fried cured pork cheek (guanciale), Pecorino Romano cheese, and black pepper.
Pasta alla Norma		Sicily	A dish with short pasta, a tomato sauce, fried eggplant, grated ricotta salata cheese, and basil.
Pasta con le sarde		Sicily	A Palermo dish with long pasta (like bucatini or spaghetti) and a sauce made with sardines and anchovies.
Penne all'arrabbiata		Lazio	Penne pasta with a spicy tomato sauce made from garlic, tomato, and red chili peppers. "Arrabbiata" means "angry" because of the spicy kick!
Pizzoccheri della Valtellina		Lombardy	A dish from Valtellina with buckwheat pasta (pizzoccheri), cooked with greens (like Swiss chard or cabbage), potatoes, and layered with cheese, then dressed with butter and garlic.
Spaghetti aglio, olio e peperoncino		Lazio	A simple Roman dish of spaghetti with garlic, olive oil, and red chili flakes.
Spaghetti alla carbonara		Lazio	A famous Roman dish of spaghetti with raw eggs, Pecorino Romano cheese, cured pork (guanciale or pancetta), and black pepper.
Spaghetti alla puttanesca		Campania	A Naples dish with spaghetti, a tomato sauce, anchovies, olives, capers, and garlic.
Spaghetti alle vongole		Campania	Spaghetti with clams, prepared either "in bianco" (with oil, garlic, parsley, white wine) or "in rosso" (with tomatoes and basil).
Spaghetti allo scoglio		Campania	Spaghetti with seafood like clams, mussels, shrimp, and prawns, served with or without tomato sauce.
Tagliatelle al ragù		Emilia-Romagna	A classic Bolognese dish with long, flat egg pasta (tagliatelle) and the traditional Bolognese meat sauce (ragù).
Testaroli con pesto		Liguria	A unique pasta made from water, flour, and salt, sliced into triangles, and served with delicious pesto sauce.
Tortelli di zucca		Lombardy	A dish from Mantua with pumpkin-filled pasta (tortelli), served with melted butter and Parmesan cheese.
Tortellini in brodo		Emilia-Romagna	A Bolognese dish with small, ring-shaped filled pasta (tortellini) cooked and served in a flavorful broth.
Trofie al pesto		Liguria	Traditional Genoa pasta dish with twisted pasta (trofie) and pesto sauce.
Vincisgrassi		Marche	A baked pasta dish similar to lasagna, from the Marche region, with meat sauce, béchamel sauce, and cheese.

Pasta Dishes from Around the World

Pasta is so popular that many countries have created their own unique dishes using it!

Dish Name	Picture	Origin	What it is
Alphabet soup		United States	A fun soup made with tiny pasta shaped like letters of the alphabet.
Älplermagronen		Switzerland	A Swiss dish of pasta and potatoes, made creamy with cheese and onions, often served with apple compote.
American chop suey		United States	A dish with elbow macaroni, ground beef, onions, and green peppers in a thick tomato sauce.
Baked ziti		United States	A baked casserole with ziti pasta and sauce, popular in Italian-American cuisine. It's like lasagna but with ziti!
Barbecue spaghetti		United States	A unique dish from Memphis, Tennessee where spaghetti noodles are topped with pulled or smoked pork in a barbecue sauce.
Bryndzové halušky		Slovakia	Slovakia's national dish! It's potato dough dumplings (halušky) with soft sheep cheese (bryndza) and often topped with crispy bacon.
Chicken noodle soup		Northern Europe	A comforting soup with chicken, noodles, and often vegetables like carrots and celery in a chicken broth.
Cincinnati chili		Cincinnati, United States	Spaghetti topped with a Greek-inspired meat sauce and shredded cheddar cheese. You can also add onions and kidney beans.
Filipino spaghetti		Philippines	A Filipino version of spaghetti with meat sauce, but it's famously sweet because of banana ketchup or brown sugar!
Giouvetsi		Greece	A baked or stewed meat dish (chicken, lamb, or beef) with orzo pasta or egg noodles and tomato sauce.
Koshary		Egypt	A traditional Egyptian dish mixing pasta, rice, vermicelli, and lentils, topped with a zesty tomato sauce, garlic vinegar, chickpeas, and crispy fried onions.
Kugel		Central Europe	A baked pudding or casserole, often made from egg noodles or potato. It's a traditional Jewish dish.
Linsen mit Spätzle		Swabia, Germany	A traditional German dish of lentils with Swabian pasta (Spätzle), usually served with sausages.
Macaroni and cheese		England	A classic dish of cooked macaroni pasta and cheese, most often cheddar, but other ingredients can be added.
Maultasche		Swabia (in Baden-Württemberg), Germany	A traditional German dish that looks like a large ravioli, filled with minced meat, smoked meat, spinach, and spices.
Naporitan		Yokohama, Japan	A Japanese spaghetti dish with tomato ketchup or sauce, onions, mushrooms, green peppers, sausage, and bacon.
Pasta primavera		Canada	Pasta mixed with lots of fresh vegetables. Sometimes chicken is added, but the veggies are the main star!
Pizza-ghetti		Canada	A combination meal popular in Quebec, Canada, where a pizza is served with a side of spaghetti and tomato sauce.
Spaghetti with meatballs		United States	A classic Italian-American dish with spaghetti, tomato sauce, and meatballs.
Toasted ravioli		St. Louis, Missouri	Breaded and deep-fried ravioli, often served as an appetizer with dipping sauce.
Túrós csusza		Hungary	A savory Hungarian dish with small homemade noodles or pasta and curd cheese, often with bacon.
Canned pasta		Italian-American	Various shapes of pasta, like SpaghettiOs or ravioli, sold in cans with tomato sauce.
Pastitsio		Greek	A Greek baked pasta dish with ground beef and a creamy béchamel sauce.
Penne alla vodka		Italian-American	Penne pasta with a sauce made with vodka, heavy cream, crushed tomatoes, onions, and sometimes sausage or bacon.

See also

• List of pasta
• List of sauces – Sauces are often used to make pasta dishes extra tasty!
• List of noodle dishes