Here's Why Macaroni & Cheese Shapes Taste Better Than Regular Noodles (2024)

Boxed macaroni and cheese is one of those childhood foods that has stood the test of time. Despite the fact that far trendier options for quick, comforting meals have emerged since the famous Kraft dinner was introduced 80 years ago, I think it's safe to say that a good portion of American adults would express wide-eyed excitement rather than disgust at the thought of whipping up a box as a treat. But the question at hand isn't whether boxed mac and cheese is delicious. Far more polarizing, is the question of which variety tastes better: Elbow noodles or shapes?

Though the generic tube-like noodles are the original, classic option, it's always been clear to me that the shapes are far superior — I feel it's my duty as a '90s kid to buy a box of SpongeBob Squarepants shapes if I ever see them at the grocery store. I never really gave much thought to whether the majority of mac-lovers felt the same way, but I recently decided to do some digging to find out. Much to my surprise, this wasn't as odd a topic as expected — a quick Twitter search proved that it's a hotly debated question that garners discussion on the internet on a fairly regular basis.

And the dedication to declaring a winner doesn't end there. Utica College published an article on the debate a few years back, the topic has been discussed on cooking forums and there's even a Facebook group dedicated to the cause that's drawn nearly 600 impassioned followers. Though I have yet to stumble upon a scientific study that's been conducted on the matter, I have a few hunches of my own. Here's why mac and cheese shapes have a hold on so many hearts.

1. They have more texture.

I've always been drawn to the chew factor that comes with mac and cheese shapes. Unlike the original noodles, which can turn into a mushy mess once their cooked, shapes tend to hold their rigid structure. My guess is that because of the way they're made, the center of the pasta doesn't cook evenly with the outside, leaving you with a pleasant bite.

2. They make a better sauce.

For some reason, mixing the butter, milk and cheese powder in with shaped pasta yields a slightly thicker and glossier sauce that sticks to the noodles better than the original variety. Though I can't prove it, I attribute the difference in cheese sauce to the fact that, with shaped pasta, less of the noodles' surface area is shielded inside of a tube. In turn, it could release more starch in the pasta water while cooking, resulting in a creamier end result.

3. They hold more cheese.

All those nooks and crannies that together make up a cute Minion or (slightly wonky looking) Darth Vader are key when it comes to holding onto the delightfully orange cheese sauce. All the extra holes in the noodles help you get as much cheese as possible in every bite to ensure that not a drop of it goes to waste.

4. They make us feel like kids again.

If you're still convinced that the perceived difference in taste is just your mind playing tricks on you, we're resorting to nostalgia to explain this head-scratcher. Perhaps the memory of scarfing down spoonfuls of noodles shaped like Scooby-Doo or a Ninja Turtle just lives in a warm fuzzy part of your heart. Old habits die hard, and there's really no shame in loving something because your inner five-year-old tells you to.

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