A half decade ago on this special date, I came clean with my favorite pasta dish. At the time, people were shocked that an Italian like myself would choose such an elementary and simple pasta entrée…buttered noodles. Oh well, I can’t run away from who I am.

Sidney made this batch of buttered noodles for me years ago.

But this year for National Pasta Day I figured I would get away from specific dishes and focus on the noodle itself. Pasta is so fun because you can cook with whatever noodle fits your personality at the given moment. So tonight I am counting down my top five favorite pasta noodles.

I could eat pasta every day. Let’s get into my countdown of favorite noodles.

5. Acini Di Pepe – This is the pasta noodle I remember my mom using a lot when she made me buttered noodles growing up. This type of noodle is so small that you eat it with a spoon! Eating it while hot feels great gliding down your throat as it warms your soul.

4. Rigatoni – When it comes to the pasta noodle that is easiest to eat with a fork, rigatoni takes the prize. This tube-shaped noodle is what we buy a lot at our house because Sloan and Beau can use their forks to easily pick at it. If you don’t want to go with traditional spaghetti and meatballs, I think rigatoni is the next best noodle option to pair with your protein.

3. Rotini – If we are talking texture, my favorite noodle is rotini. I love how the corkscrew shape flirts with the tongue and the agreeable experience that ensues when biting down. This noodle also can add flair as often you will see it presented in three different colors.

2. Shells – Please see the photo below for the size of pasta noodle I am referring to. As with rotini, I also like shells for their texture but the main reason why I have this variety ranked so high is because of how they hold sauce. I am a big fan of how the sauce seeps into the enclosure of the shells to produce almost a gusher-like effect. It also provides a noodle-to-sauce consistency that I appreciate.

These are the size of pasta shells that I like most of all.

1. Angel Hair – If a restaurant gives me a choice of pasta noodle, I always opt for angel hair. I like to effortlessly twirl my pasta on a fork and no pasta offers that ease like angel hair. Other pasta noodles like spaghetti and fettuccine can be a little too clumsy for my fork-spinning liking. I think angel hair just provides a sophistication that I enjoy and I think it pairs well with all sauces. My clear favorite indeed!

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I hope you get to celebrate National Pasta Day this evening…I think we all know how that is accomplished 😉🍝. Don’t Blink.