Funniest Italian Pastas
Did you know there are more than 350 types of Italian pasta?
Isn’t that amazing? Each is uniquely different, with its own texture and style.
Some pastas have really great and funny names. Here are a few of our favorites.
Orecchiette (or-eh-KYEH-teh)
These are smaller, round bowl-shaped pastas.
The word Orecchiette translates to mean “little ears.”
Lumaconi (loo-mah-KOH-nee)
This pasta is a hollow tube that has been folded in half.
Lumaconi means “big snails,” and if you look carefully, you can see how this pasta might resemble a snail shell!
Gemelli (jeh-MEHL-lee)
This pasta is composed of two pieces of pasta twisted together.
You may see how this pasta name looks a bit similar to “Gemini” which is the astrological sign of the twins.
Well, “gemelli” means “twins” which makes sense since the pasta is two twin shapes twirled together!
Farfalle (far-FAHL-leh)

Strangolapreti (STRAHN-goh-lah-PREH-tee)
This pasta literally translates to mean “priest stranglers.”
Many believe that the pasta gets its name from its heavy texture since strangolapreti was traditionally made with ground millet bread rather than flour.
It was thought that the pasta was too tough for a priest’s delicate palate, and that they might choke on it!
Learn how to make your own pasta by signing up for a cooking class at Olive Tree Hill!