Ziti vs. Penne: What’s the Real Difference?
A good bowl of pasta has the potential to cure all ills. There’s nothing like a comforting pot of pasta alla zozzona or creamy pasta alla norcina, and I’ll never turn down the opportunity to eat pasta smothered in classic basil pesto. Choosing the right noodle though can make or break any pasta dish. That’s because noodle shapes have been designed to work for specific types of dishes depending on how saucy they are, what ingredients are involved, and even whether they’re cooked on the stovetop or baked in the oven. The trickiest choices are when two shapes seem pretty similar. Take penne and ziti, for example. Is there any real difference between these two? Can you just swap one for the other? Here, we break down what you need to know.
What’s the Difference Between Ziti and Penne?
Penne and ziti are both short, tubular pastas. Ziti has a smooth texture and a straight cut with thin walls, while penne has a diagonal cut, thick walls, and can be smooth or ridged.
What Is Ziti?
Ziti is a common short, tubular pasta shape. Its defining characteristics are a smooth texture and a straight, 90-degree cut. It can be cut to various lengths, but what you’ll find dried at the grocery store is usually just a little bit bigger than penne (at about 2 inches long).
Ziti is best for dishes with thick sauces and in baked, casserole-style dishes like chicken Alfredo pasta, Greek pastitsio, or baked ziti. The thin pasta cooks evenly in the oven giving the finished casserole a uniform, smooth texture without the typical al dente bite of a freshly sauced pasta dish.
What Is Penne?
“Penne” is Italian for “quill,” a reference to the pointy ends of this common short, tubular pasta shape. Penne differs from ziti in two main ways: It’s cut at an angle (resulting in those pointy ends), and it has thicker walls than ziti, giving it a firmer texture when cooked. Penne can be either smooth (lisce) or ridged (rigate) and is most often used in fresh, saucy dishes where it’s firm al dente texture shines like penne all’Arrabbiata, penne pomodoro, and penne alla vodka.
Can You Swap Ziti and Penne?
Yes! Ziti and penne are similar in shape and size and can be used interchangeably for the most part. The biggest difference when swapping one for the other will be texture, with the thicker-walled penne having more of an al dente bite than ziti.