The 8 Best Pasta Bowls, Tested and Reviewed

Best Overall

Fiesta 32-Ounce Pasta Bowl

$16 at Amazon $16 at Wayfair $16 at Home Depot

If you like to keep things colorful or are trying to match another serving set you already own, these pasta bowls will deliver. Fiesta dinnerware has been around for a while, so you very well may have other pieces. The stackable bowls (great for small spaces) come in one of the largest arrays of colors we’ve seen—16 different shades, including neutrals, such as white and gray, to bright, bold colors, such as purple and red. These porcelain china pasta bowls are loved by reviewers because of their large size—they hold up to 32 ounces each. They are also microwave-, oven-, and dishwasher-safe. 

During testing, we found that the gorgeous "Mediterranean-ish" turquoise color and the subtle striping around the interior and exterior of the bowl added extra visual appeal. Thanks to its sturdy design, versatility, and good looks, we reached for this bowl again and again.

While we mainly used the Fiesta pasta bowl for cheese-filled tortellini with spinach in olive oil, a small fruit salad for two, cereal, and yogurt bowls, it would also work well for green salads, grain bowls, and chili. We also used it to serve up a street corn salad for Cinco de Mayo and to microwave leftover Chinese food, noting that the ceramic seemed to retain the heat pretty well.

Material: Porcelain | Volume: 32 ounces | Number of Pieces: One

Best Budget Set

Corelle White Bowl Set

$24 at Amazon Orig. $30 $24 at Walmart $26 at Home Depot

When it comes to pasta bowl sets, you don’t have to spend a lot of money to get a quality product. If you’re satisfied with plain white options without fancy design elements or glazing, there are plenty of affordable options out there. This pasta bowl set is about as good as you can get in terms of price, with each bowl netting out at under $5 if you can find the set on sale.

With a 20-ounce capacity, these pasta bowls are a standard size that can comfortably fit a full serving of pasta and sauce, if not more. We found these bowls to be ultra-practical for everyday use and loved how they were the ideal shape and size for pasta entrees or sides, as well as salads, snack plates, and burrito bowls.

They’re made with triple-layer strong glass, which not only looks great but is also incredibly functional and durable. They’re lightweight, stackable, and highly resistant to chips and breaks. Additionally, these plates are microwave-, oven-, and dishwasher-safe. Reviewers highly recommend the set, calling them the perfect size and shape; plus, many vouch for the fact that they last for many years, despite the low sticker price. We have to agree—there were no marks on the finish after using or washing. One tester noted that the bowls seemed just as durable and resistant to breakage as other Corelle pieces they own.

Material: Tempered glass | Volume: 20 ounces | Number of Pieces: Six

Best Oversized

Le Tauci Pasta Bowls

Orig. $35 $30 at Amazon $32 at Walmart

If you prefer larger-scale dinnerware with more surface area, these oversized pasta bowls are a great choice. At 45 ounces, the shiny white ceramic bowls are big enough to use as a small pasta serving bowl, but aren’t comically large—so you can definitely use them for larger individual portions of noodles, too.

They’re an especially good option for anyone who wants to use the bowls for multiple types of food, such as soups (especially ramen) or large dinner-sized main course salads. During testing, we even used them to serve a fruit salad and pretzels at a toddler’s birthday party. 

Despite the generous capacity, the shallow silhouette keeps them looking refined—not clunky. The large pasta bowls are made of thick, quality stoneware that’s both chip- and crack-resistant to hold up to everyday use, including spins through the dishwasher and microwave.

Material: Ceramic | Volume: 45 ounces | Number of Pieces: Four

Best for Outdoor Dining

Pottery Barn Cabana Melamine Bowl

$10 at Pottery Barn

When it comes to dining outdoors, durability is arguably the most important feature of any dinnerware. When you’re carrying meals from the kitchen to your outdoor dining table or eating in the wind, the chance of breakage is just that much higher. But disposable options aren’t ideal for a variety of reasons—they’re not eco-friendly and are much less sophisticated.

Your best choice is melamine. These pasta bowls have all the same qualities of much more refined ceramic options. Although we noticed that these bowls were a bit smaller than others on the list during testing, they easily fit standard servings of pasta, oatmeal, and yogurt mixed with granola. We found that they don't retain heat as much as ceramic, so they also work for items other than warm pasta dishes (such as pasta salad).

Choose from two rich colors—stone or turquoise—that complement a wide range of styles. Plus, you can complete your set with all of the companion pieces available, from serving bowls and platters to salad and dinner plates. They’re top-rack dishwasher-safe, but like all melamine, not recommended for microwave use.

Material: Melamine | Volume: 26 ounces | Number of Pieces: One or four

Best Design

Villeroy & Boch Vapiano Pasta Bowls

Orig. $60 $43 at Amazon View on Villeroy-boch.com

This lovely pasta bowl set of two is of European manufacture but readily available in the U.S. The duo is perfect for pastas and salads, and their gently curved oval design makes them more eye-catching than plain, round bowls.

Villeroy & Boch, the esteemed, centuries-old German manufacturer, makes these out of porcelain, which is lightweight yet sturdy and can be popped right into the dishwasher. Because of their depth and curved oval shape, however, we found that these bowls take up a lot of rack space—so it may be tricky to fit more than a few on a single rack. They easily hold more than a standard 2-ounce serving of pasta, and the two low-curved sides make it easy to move noodles onto a fork. These bowls would also come in handy for serving beef stew piled over buttered noodles or mashed potatoes.

We love the shape and design of these pieces in person, especially the contoured sides, which will elevate any table setting. Keep in mind that they may not be the best choice for families with young children, who might find the bowls tough to carry and eat out from.

Material: Porcelain | Volume: 31 ounces | Number of Pieces: Two

Best Matte

Williams Sonoma Terre Pasta Bowls

$36 at Williams-Sonoma

These sturdy, demi-matte stoneware pasta bowls come in an off-white shade that suits a range of decor styles. They mix and match well, too, making them a welcome addition to just about any set of dishes you may already have. The sleek design will lend sophistication to both everyday and formal meals.

Still, these Williams Sonoma pasta bowls are very functional. At just over 36 ounces, the bowls are bigger than many other standard options. We compared the overall size to a 10-inch dinner plate in terms of storage and noted the wide, flat bottom of these bowls offers plenty of real estate for pasta or a standard protein plus starch and veggie meal. Plus, they don’t break easily, and they are dishwasher- and microwave-safe—all qualities that make the set of four great for families. 

Material: Ceramic | Volume: 36.5 ounces | Number of Pieces: Four

Best Splurge

Denby White Square Pasta Bowl

$31 at Wayfair View on Replacements.com View on Shipt.com

Sometimes it’s nice to have dishes on the table that aren’t all the same shape, and having square pasta bowls can help highlight the visual beauty of any pasta dish. These are smaller in volume, but nicely shaped.

We loved the neutral color of this bowl, which makes it easier to match almost any other dishware. However, the sloped sides somewhat take away its versatility—it’s a bit too shallow to use for soup, cereal, or very saucy pasta since overfilling the bowl can easily slosh food over the rim. It can hold approximately 18 ounces, which might be a better size for salads or dips and bread.

The Denby pasta bowl can be purchased as a single piece or part of a set in which all the dishes have that similar square shape with just slightly rounded corners. They’re safe in the oven and microwave and can go right in the dishwasher.

Material: Porcelain | Volume: 18.7 ounces | Number of Pieces: One

Best Handmade

YomYomCeramic Rustic Ceramic Pasta Bowl

$71 at Etsy

Good pasta deserves special dinnerware, and you can’t get any more special than these one-of-a-kind handcrafted ceramic pasta bowls from YomYomCeramics. The interiors are glazed, but the exteriors are matte and metallic, with raw, organic design schemes—each handmade and unique. A delightful way to present pasta, ramen, or veggies, they’re entirely safe in the dishwasher, microwave, and even the oven. 

We enjoyed a serving of cheese-filled ravioli out of this bowl and found the material offers a lot of grip so food doesn’t slide around. Our one caveat? The "gritty" texture of the interior, while it helped hold food in place, didn't feel great against stainless steel utensils. We also found the best way to run this bowl through the dishwasher was to place it on the top rack because of the curved edges.

They won’t exactly match most dishware, but does that matter? These offer elegant presentation and an interesting aesthetic—no two are exactly alike—and adding them to your table supports the work of a gifted ceramics artist.

Material: Ceramic | Volume: 20 ounces | Number: One, two, four, six, eight, 10, 14, 18, 24