Short cut pasta refers to a broad category of pasta shapes that are shorter in length than long pasta shapes like spaghetti or fettuccine. Short pasta shapes are typically easier to eat and are better suited for dishes with chunky sauces or ingredients. Some popular short pasta shapes include penne, rigatoni, elbows, rotini, and ziti. Short pasta shapes can be divided into three categories: short cuts, long cuts, and soup cuts. Short cuts are made to capture hearty ragùs and chunky vegetable sauces in their sturdy hollows and ridges, giving satisfying bursts of flavor as you eat. Long cuts, on the other hand, are better suited for silky sauces that can coat noodles and catch little ingredients like ground meat or chopped herbs. Soup cuts are even smaller than short pasta and are perfect for including in all the broth-y.