An Italian faced with a plate of pasta likes to think they know a thing or two about it. But with hundreds of Italian pasta shapes to choose from, names that sound like tongue-twisters, and designs that look like they came straight out of an architect’s sketchbook (and sometimes they did), there’s always some obscure variety out there that even the most stereotypically pasta-loving Italian has never heard of.
Inspired by World Pasta Day, celebrated around the globe on 25 October, we’ve rounded up 15 types of pasta worth trying, from beloved regional classics to some decidedly quirky creations, including one that earned recognition from the prestigious Compasso d’Oro design award.
