Twitter is obsessed with this ranking of pasta shapes

In the ranking of food in general, pasta usually comes out near the top of the list. But what happens when you delve into the world of pasta and explore the pros and cons of the different shapes, of which there are almost too many to count? You might assume, naturally, that spaghetti, rigatoni, and penne would appear near the top of the list, but where’s the fun in ranking everyone’s favorite shapes? Better to rank those shapes that live in more obscure light, no?

Twitter user @David_Rudnick decided to do just that for National Pasta Day and came up with the “Best Non-Primary-Canon Pasta, Shortlist 2017.” In the Twitter feed he tweeted the year’s ranking, “in ASCENDING order of pasta shapes from WORST to BEST”:

Let’s cut to the chase. The list is a hysterical read with comments ranging from the negative:

• “pasta NOT a place for GraphicsDesign”
• “Literally allergic to retaining sauce”
• “cold, heartless form befits our age”

... to the middle ground/neutral:

• “Always seems like a good idea at the time”
• “elegant look but sauce agnostic”

... and finally through to the positive:

• “a true Comrade to Sauce”

• “adds baroque surface complexity to even simple meals”
• “a sauce holding miracle”

The list is amusing, yes - but it is also genuinely informative, well worth scrolling through for a laugh as much as for an entertaining learning experience. The opinions expressed are strong, but many of them seem to be based on solid reasoning. From a pasta point of view, it is certainly a great pasta lover’s guide to pasta shapes!

https://twitter.com/i/moments/923287888032358400?lang=enDaisy Nichols is the Cook editor at The Daily Meal. She is an NYC-dwelling Brit with a serious pasta passion who could happily eat spaghetti every day of the week. Follow her on Instagram @bestbird.