A tribute to noodles on World Pasta Day

Penne, spaghetti and macaroni are the most popular types, but pasta comes in hundreds of different shapes and sizes, like the long and very thin capellini, which means "little hairs." This is an old pasta type originating in central and southern Italy, and is often wound into a nest shape, as seen here.

Italians have perfected the art of creating just the right kind of noodle for every kind of sauce, and the country boasts more than 600 different varieties of pasta. Gemelli (the name means "twins" in Italian, and refers to the way this type is made: Two strands of pasta twisted together into an "S" shape) is robust and holds up well to heartier ingredients.

One of the stranger Italian pasta names, these "priest stranglers" are hand-rolled noodles. Historians are divided on what inspired the odd name. But scientists agree that noodles make you happy: The carbohydrates boost the production of the neurotransmitter serotonin, which can improve mood.

The name "lumaconi" translates to "large snails," referring to the shape of this pasta variety. These shells originated in the Campania region of Italy. The first written reference to pasta (which means "paste" in Italian) was in the 12th century. But tomato sauce wasn't added until the 1700s.

The name of this type of pasta translates to "little ear," and it originates from Apulia. Like most Italian pasta, it's made with durum wheat semolina, but it can also have other ingredients to alter the flavor. Pictured here are spinach, garlic and tomato varieties. It is estimated that, globally, 13 million tons of pasta are eaten each year.

Meaning "little sparrow" in southwest German dialects, these egg noodles can also be found across the Alpine countries and even into Hungary and the Alsace region of France. This photo shows "Käsespätzle," made with cheese and served with fried onions, a popular cold-weather treat.

Wheat noodles are popular in many other countries as well. In fact, the first known reports of people eating pasta came from China, as early as 5,000 B.C. Shown here are thick wheat noodles called udon, which are found across Japan, in a variety of sizes and shapes. They're commonly used for soups, but are also stir-fried, used in a Japanese curry, or eaten cold, as a salad.

Buckwheat is less popular than wheat for noodles, but is used in both Italian and Asian varieties. The Japanese type is called soba, and it's eaten hot, as in soups, or cold. Soba is sometimes flavored with other ingredients in the dough, such as green tea powder, wild yam, or seaweed.

Forget simply flavoring noodles with seaweed — why not just make them from seaweed? These noodles here are made from kelp and flavored with curcuma. It's a healthy option, especially for people who can't tolerate wheat or who want to reduce their intake of calories or carbohydrates.

Another wheat-free option is rice noodles, which are very popular across Asia in a number of types and sizes and uses. Here, rice vermicelli are served Singapore-style in a Tokyo restaurant. Rice noodles are also an important ingredient in summer rolls and Vietnamese pho soups.