The difference

Penne vs Ziti

Both are tubes for baked dishes and chunky sauces, but penne is cut on the diagonal to a point and usually ridged, while ziti is a longer smooth tube cut straight across. Penne grabs more sauce on its ridges, ziti bakes up sleeker in a casserole.

Gouache illustration of Penne

Penne

Family: Tubes
Size: 48 to 50 mm long
Surface: Ridged
Cook: 10 to 12 min

Wants: Arrabbiata, Vodka sauce, Tomato sauce

Gouache illustration of Ziti

Ziti

Family: Tubes
Size: 40 to 50 mm long
Surface: Smooth
Cook: 8 to 12 min

Wants: Neapolitan ragu, Genovese, Besciamella

Compare more shapes, or look up Penne and Ziti in full.