Barilla’s New Pasta Shape Is Absolutely Delightful

It's available exclusively at Walmart in November and December.

When I was little, I was a sucker for fun pasta shapes. The little “Os” in my SpaghettiOs, the letters in my alphabet soup, and the tiny stars in a sick-day broth all made the food feel more special, even if the pasta tasted like any other.

Even though I’m fully grown, I still get excited by a fun pasta shape because they bring a little whimsy to my dinner. And, with my age-gained wisdom, I understand that we eat with our eyes first—a little delight goes a long way at the dinner table.

A New Pasta Shape Is Born

Barilla might be better known for its standard shapes—spaghetti, elbows, bowties—but it’s doing its best to bring holiday cheer and delight to all our tables this season with its latest pasta shape, which it calls “Snowfall.” As you might guess, Snowfall is snowflake-shaped, and inside each 12-ounce box you’ll find a mix of three different snowflake shapes (my favorite of the three features a tiny heart at its center).

Snowfall comes on the delicious heels of Barilla’s fan favorite heart-shaped “Love” pasta, which it brought back for a second season around Valentine’s Day 2024. I guess I’m not the only pasta fan who gets a kick out of a fun, new shape.

Barilla Snowfall Pasta

• Price: $1.76 for 12 ounces

• Where To Find It: Exclusively at Walmart and Walmart.com

• Why You Should Try It: This limited edition seasonal shape will delight children of all ages. The snowflakes are as tasty as they are cute, with an excellent texture that holds onto sauces.

How I Cooked Barilla's Snowfall Pasta

As soon as my box of Snowfall pasta arrived in the mail, I sprinted to the kitchen to see how the pasta held up during cooking. I was also anxious to try a bite, knowing that all those nooks and crannies would cradle sauce with the tenderness of a nonna’s embrace.

Snowfall only takes seven minutes to cook to al dente, which is just enough time to heat up a store-bought sauce. Around the four minute mark you could even throw some broccoli or peas or another quick-cooking veggie into the pot to cook alongside the pasta.

I opted to sauce my Snowfall pasta with store-bought tomato pesto, so I made sure to save a cup of the pasta cooking water. After draining the pasta, I returned it to its pot, added the pesto, and stirred in splashes of pasta water until the sauce was creamy and coated the snowflakes.

I’m pleased to report that the snowflakes aren’t just cute. They have the most delightful texture and do, in fact, hold onto sauce like it’s their job (it is). I was worried that the snowflakes might break apart during cooking, as they look delicate. However, they hold their shape well and are remarkably sturdy while still having a delicate bite.

They’d be extremely charming floating in a brothy soup with winter veggies, and I can already hear the oohs and ahhs at the potluck where these snowflakes grace a pasta salad. The pasta box features a built-in “gift tag” that you can address to a friend or loved one, too, so don’t count out this pasta as a fun gift for a food-inclined person in your life.

You can find Barilla Snowfall pasta online starting mid-November at Walmart.com. In late November and December, you’ll see it on Walmart’s shelves for a cool $1.76. This is a limited edition shape, so nab some extra boxes while you can.