Pasta is one of the top comfort foods (who doesn’t love a warm bowl of creamy mac and cheese?) – but stuffed pasta might be even better.
Stuffed pasta is pasta that is stuffed with a filling typically containing meat and cheese, but it can vary.
You’re probably thinking of ravioli, and you’re right! Ravioli is a type of stuffed pasta, but there are 13 other types besides ravioli!
The master list of stuffed pasta is:
- Agnolotti
- Cannelloni (also called manicotti)
- Caramelle
- Casoncelli
- Cappelletti
- Fagottini
- Jumbo shells (conchiglioni)
- Manicotti
- Mezzelune
- Pansotti
- Ravioli
- Tortelli
- Tortellini
- Tortelloni
We’ll explain what each of these types of stuffed pasta is next!
What is stuffed pasta?
Stuffed pasta is a shape of pasta along with long (like spaghetti), short (like macaroni), and sheet (like lasagna). Stuffed pasta is pasta that is usually sealed to enclose stuffing, which varies depending on the type of pasta and the dish being prepared.
Popular fillings for stuffed pasta include meat and cheese sauces as well as vegetables like spinach.
The most popular type of stuffed pasta is ravioli, but did you know there are 13 other types of stuffed pasta besides ravioli? We’ll review them all next!
14 types of stuffed pasta
- Agnolotti
Agnolotti is similar to ravioli, but the main difference between agnolotti and ravioli is that agnolotti is made from a single piece of pasta that is folded over, while ravioli is prepared from two pieces of pasta cut into squares and then pinched together to form a seam!
The shape of agnolotti is a folded-over square with the edges pinched together to contain the filling, which gives each piece a unique shape.
- Cannelloni (also called manicotti)
This stuffed pasta is tube-shaped and is typically filled with meat and cheese. Stuffed cannelloni can be paired with ingredients like pasta sauce, ricotta, ground meat, and parmesan, similar to lasagna.
- Caramelle
Caramelle translates to “candies” in Italian, which is what this stuffed pasta resembles with its twisted ends – a piece of candy in its wrapper!
- Casoncelli
This stuffed pasta has a unique shape. It typically consists of two sheets of pasta about 4 centimeters long each pressed together at the edges like ravioli, but it can also be shaped like a candy wrapper (shaped into a disc and folded).
- Cappelletti
Cappelletti resembles the more well-known tortellini (another stuffed pasta further down on our list) but is different in several ways. Cappelletti is made from square pieces of pasta instead of circular, has a thicker dough, and includes meat in the filling, unlike tortellini which is usually just filled with cheese.
- Fagottini
Fagottini means “little bundles” and looks like little star-shaped pouches filled with cheeses like ricotta and parmesan. Fagottini can be stuffed with meat and other ingredients as well.
- Jumbo shells (conchiglioni)
Jumbo shells resemble large conch shells, and they are stuffed with ingredients similar to cannelloni and lasagna (meat sauce, cheeses, etc).
- Manicotti
Manicotti is very similar to cannelloni. The main difference is that cannelloni has a smooth exterior while manicotti has a ridged texture.
- Mezzelune
Similar to ravioli, this stuffed pasta is different because it’s semicircular. You’ll find it filled with a blend of cheeses and vegetables like mushrooms and spinach.
- Pansotti
Pansotti is stuffed pasta that is triangular in shape. Its flavor is unique – a mixture of cheese, nutmeg, and herbs native to the Liguria are stuffed inside!
- Ravioli
Good old ravioli, likely the most well-known stuffed pasta on our list. This square-shaped stuffed pasta usually contains cheese, spinach, and other ingredients – the fillings vary depending on where they’re made!
- Tortelli
Tortelli is a type of stuffed pasta similar to tortellini and tortelloni, coming in different shapes from square to semi-circular to twisted.
- Tortellini
This ring-shaped stuffed pasta is traditionally stuffed with ricotta cheese, but other types of cheeses and meat can be used.
- Tortelloni
The only difference between tortellini and tortelloni (besides the difference of one letter) is that tortelloni is the larger version of tortellini.
FAQs:
Stuffed pasta is a shape of pasta that encompasses several different types, but ravioli is the most popular type of stuffed pasta.
Mezzelune is stuffed pasta (similar to ravioli) in a half-moon shape.
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