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Dishes of London

Guide

Types of pasta: shapes, the sauces they suit, and what to order

Pasta shapes are not there for decoration. Each one is chosen to carry a sauce, so the shape and the sauce on a menu usually go together for a reason. Once you know the logic, a long list of pasta dishes gets much easier to read. Below: 9 types on one chart, then each with the East and Central London venues that serve it, 130 venues in all. Prices checked .

Pasta shapes chart

  1. Long strandsSpaghettiLinguine
  2. RibbonsTagliatellePappardelle
  3. TubesPenneRigatoni
  4. FilledRavioli
  5. Baked sheetsLasagne
  6. Pasta cousinGnocchi

Quick picks: what are you after?

The five families

The five families are long strands, ribbons, tubes, filled pasta and baked sheets. Gnocchi sits outside them, but it is on the pasta section of most Italian menus, so it is here too.

The rule behind them is simple. Long, thin shapes suit smooth, oily or light sauces that coat each strand. Wide or ridged shapes suit heavier, chunkier sauces. Tubes catch sauce inside. Filled pasta carries its flavour inside and gets a light sauce.

This guide groups the pasta on East and Central London menus into five families. It says what each shape is and which sauces suit it, so you know what you are ordering before the plate arrives.

The 9 types, and where to eat them

Spaghetti

Long strands

Best for CarbonaraCacio e pepeTomato and olive oil

Spaghetti is long, thin, round strands.

It suits olive oil, tomato and cheese-and-egg sauces such as carbonara and cacio e pepe. The thin strands carry a smooth or oily sauce evenly, so you get a little in every forkful.

On East and Central London menus: 35 venues, 100 dishes; median £16.95, £6.99 to £28 across 81 priced dishes. Each venue's lowest plate price, cheapest first:

And 29 more venues: every pasta in East and Central London.

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Linguine

Long strands

Best for SeafoodPesto

Linguine is long strands flattened into a narrow oval. The name means "little tongues".

It is classic with seafood and pesto.

On East and Central London menus: 27 venues, 48 dishes; median £22.50, £12.50 to £37.95 across 37 priced dishes. Each venue's lowest plate price, cheapest first:

And 21 more venues: every pasta in East and Central London.

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Tagliatelle

Ribbons

Best for RagùEgg pasta

Tagliatelle is long flat ribbons, traditionally made with egg, from Emilia-Romagna. Fettuccine is a similar ribbon, so you may see either name on a menu.

In Bologna, ragù is served with tagliatelle rather than spaghetti: the flat ribbons give a meat sauce more to hold on to than thin round strands.

On East and Central London menus: 33 venues, 65 dishes; median £17.45, £9.95 to £28.90 across 52 priced dishes. Each venue's lowest plate price, cheapest first:

And 27 more venues: every pasta in East and Central London.

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Pappardelle

Ribbons

Best for Slow-cooked meat ragùGame

Pappardelle is very wide flat ribbons, often egg pasta. It is the broadest of the ribbon shapes.

It suits rich, slow-cooked meat and game ragù. The width gives a heavy sauce plenty of surface to sit on.

On East and Central London menus: 15 venues, 22 dishes; median £19.50, £9 to £40 across 21 priced dishes. Each venue's lowest plate price, cheapest first:

  • FAREPappardelle lamb ragu · £9Old Street
  • Frederick'sMonkfish & prawn chilli garlic pappardelle · £14.50Angel
  • ScarpettaBeef Short Rib Ragú Pappardelle · £15Canary Wharf
  • MAP MaisonPappardelle · £16Haggerston
  • CarbobarPappardelle · £16.80Bow
  • SantorèPappardelle con Ragù di Manzo e Porcini servite con Scaglie di Grana · £17.55Clerkenwell

And 9 more venues: every pasta in East and Central London.

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Penne

Tubes

Best for ArrabbiataTomato sauces

Penne is short tubes cut on a slant, like a quill pen. It is often ridged, in which case the menu may call it penne rigate.

It suits tomato sauces like arrabbiata. The ridges grip the sauce, and some of it runs inside the tube.

On East and Central London menus: 31 venues, 81 dishes; median £15.50, £9 to £26 across 57 priced dishes. Each venue's lowest plate price, cheapest first:

And 25 more venues: every pasta in East and Central London.

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Rigatoni

Tubes

Best for RagùAmatricianaChunky sauces

Rigatoni is large, wide ridged tubes, chunkier than penne. Paccheri are wider, smooth tubes used in a similar way.

It holds chunky sauces such as ragù and amatriciana: the wide opening lets small pieces of meat get inside, and the ridges hold on to the rest.

On East and Central London menus: 22 venues, 37 dishes; median £18.90, £8 to £27.55 across 31 priced dishes. Each venue's lowest plate price, cheapest first:

And 16 more venues: every pasta in East and Central London.

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Ravioli

Filled

Best for Butter and sageLight sauces

Ravioli is squares or rounds of pasta sealed around a filling of cheese, vegetables or meat. Tortellini and agnolotti are other filled shapes you may come across.

It is usually served with butter, sage or a light sauce so the filling leads. A heavy sauce would cover up the flavour inside.

On East and Central London menus: 50 venues, 99 dishes; median £18.95, £5.50 to £34 across 64 priced dishes. Each venue's lowest plate price, cheapest first:

And 44 more venues: every pasta in East and Central London.

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Lasagne

Baked sheets

Best for BakedRagù and béchamel

Lasagne is flat sheets of pasta layered with sauce and baked. The sauce is often ragù and béchamel, though the layers vary between kitchens.

Here the sauce is built into the dish rather than spooned on top.

On East and Central London menus: 37 venues, 54 dishes; median £13.50, £6 to £22 across 42 priced dishes. Each venue's lowest plate price, cheapest first:

And 31 more venues: every pasta in East and Central London.

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Gnocchi

Pasta cousin

Best for Soft and pillowyButter, tomato or creamy sauces

Gnocchi is small dumplings, usually made from potato and flour, so it is not strictly pasta. It is on the pasta section of most Italian menus, so you will be choosing it alongside the rest.

It is soft and pillowy, and it suits butter, tomato or creamy sauces.

On East and Central London menus: 43 venues, 67 dishes; median £15.90, £6 to £38 across 47 priced dishes. Each venue's lowest plate price, cheapest first:

And 37 more venues: every pasta in East and Central London.

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Classic sauces you will see on menus

  • Carbonara: egg yolk, hard cheese (pecorino and/or parmesan), cured pork (guanciale, sometimes pancetta) and black pepper. The Roman version uses no cream.
  • Cacio e pepe: pecorino and black pepper, emulsified with the pasta water.
  • Amatriciana: tomato, guanciale and pecorino. It comes from Amatrice.
  • Ragù or bolognese: a slow-cooked meat sauce. In Bologna it is served with tagliatelle. You will also see it with pappardelle and rigatoni, and in lasagne.
  • Pesto: basil, pine nuts, garlic, hard cheese and olive oil, in the Genovese style.
  • Arrabbiata: tomato, garlic and dried chilli. The name means "angry", so expect some heat.

How to order pasta

  • Dishes made with guanciale or pancetta, such as carbonara and amatriciana, are not vegetarian.
  • Many places can make some dishes gluten-free, but it varies from kitchen to kitchen, so ask.
  • "Fresh pasta" on a menu usually means egg pasta, such as tagliatelle or pappardelle.

Every pasta in East and Central London See them on the map

Where to go: pasta by area

More guides

How this guide is made: the descriptions are general food knowledge, checked by hand. Every venue, dish and price comes from the venue's own menu as we read it, and nobody has paid to appear. How we check.