Stock your pantry with pasta essentials

From Asian noodle dishes to Italian sauced pastas and American pasta casseroles, the food products in this section are beloved and devoured by millions of people every day. Shop this section to find the right pasta ingredients to make your own meals from scratch or to purchase packaged meals that include everything you need right in the box.

Types of pasta

Pasta is an incredibly versatile food, and there are so many more options available now than there ever have been before. This means that shopping for pasta requires some special knowledge of each type. Understanding these pasta type categories makes shopping much simpler. Simply click into the category that best suits your pasta craving and find the perfect product. Read product descriptions carefully before buying to be sure you understand how to properly prepare and eat your pasta.

Shaped pasta: Shoppers who want classic dried wheat pasta can find exactly what they're looking for by browsing our pasta shape categories. Long, thin pastas, such as spaghetti and fettucine, are available alongside shorter, hollow pasta shapes such as shells and penne. If you see a pasta shape name you aren't familiar with, click into that category to see product photos and get a better idea of what s available. In general, long, thin pastas are best for eating with thin sauces, such as tomato sauce, while short, hollow pasta shapes are best for casseroles and heavy meat or cheese sauces.

Macaroni and cheese: Classic mac and cheese dinners come in many different forms to suit a variety of needs. You can find organic, whole wheat, gluten-free and classic recipes in this section, as well as some microwave-ready or ready-to-eat macaroni and cheese dinners. Most of the macaroni and cheese packs in this section include dried pasta and a cheese sauce mix that you need to prepare and stir together according to package directions. This may require you to have supplies and ingredients such as a saucepan, boiling water, milk and butter.

Ready to eat: The ready-to-eat pasta products in this section typically need nothing more than a quick trip to the microwave. These convenient, ready-made meals are often shelf stable, meaning they don't require refrigeration before you open them, but this isn't always the case. Recipes such as chow mein, beef ravioli and macaroni salad may be available, though each product may come in different packaging and have different storage and preparation requirements.

Filled pasta: Tortellini and ravioli are the most popular types of filled pasta, but there's a lot of variety in this category regardless of the two common names. Filled pasta is available in ready-made, dry and refrigerated fresh varieties, giving you the ability to either buy a heat-and-eat dinner or create your own pasta dinner. You can dress up your uncooked filled pasta by cooking and mixing your tortellini or ravioli with the sauce and protein or vegetables of your choice. Popular options include tomato sauce and spinach or alfredo sauce and chicken. The exact preparation you choose may depend on the filling inside the pasta. Common ravioli and tortellini fillings include cheese, beef, spinach, lobster, pesto and pumpkin.

Instant noodles: Pasta in this category does not require a long heating period to become soft and edible, usually taking only a minute or two to become fully cooked. These pastas are usually packaged with concentrated sauce or powdered flavoring in a packet or container and usually take their cues from Asian noodle soup dishes such as pho or ramen. You'll typically need to pour boiling water over these dried noodles and wait until they soften to eat them.

Rice noodles: Though many rice noodles are specifically made for use with Asian cuisine, some of the pastas in this category are created to mimic the shape and texture of European and North American pastas such as macaroni and spaghetti. Many people who can't or don't want to eat gluten opt to use rice pasta instead of wheat pasta for classic dishes such as fettuccine alfredo or spaghetti and meatballs. If you have a gluten allergy, take extra care to read product descriptions for rice pastas to be sure the product is safe for your dietary restrictions.

Bean pasta: Pasta is an inexpensive base for a meal, but simply eating pasta and sauce doesn't always provide the right balance of nutrients, including fiber and protein. Bean pasta incorporates beans and legumes, such as lentils, black beans and chickpeas, into the pasta dough itself, creating a highly nutritious substitute for classic wheat pasta. Try bean pasta as a stand-in for your favorite classic pasta shapes the next time you cook. Be sure to follow the package directions on your chosen bean pasta; the required cooking technique may differ from what you're used to when you usually cook pasta.