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Marcato Atlas Pasta Machine Attachments: Which Do You Need?
The Marcato Atlas range includes a rolling unit as standard, but to cut pasta into specific shapes you need a separate attachment. If you own the newer Atlas+, spaghetti and fettuccine cutters are built in, so you may need fewer attachments than you think. If you own an Atlas 150, all cutting requires a separate attachment. The attachments covered in this guide are compatible with the Atlas 150 and Atlas+ only — they are not compatible with the Atlas 180. Either way, picking the right ones comes down to one question: what do you actually want to cook?
This guide groups the attachments by the type of pasta they produce, with notes on what each shape suits and where to start if you are building your collection from scratch.
Round and Square Strand Pasta
These are the most versatile attachments and the most popular starting point for most cooks.
Spaghetti (2mm, round)
The spaghetti attachment cuts a 2mm round strand at sheet thickness position 4. If you own an Atlas 150, this is the most straightforward attachment to start with. Fresh spaghetti cooks in two to three minutes and works with almost any sauce: carbonara, cacio e pepe, simple tomato, bolognese, and seafood all suit the shape. If you own an Atlas+, spaghetti cutters are built into the machine, so you do not need this attachment.
Spaghetti alla Chitarra (2mm, square)
The spaghetti alla chitarra attachment cuts the same 2mm width as spaghetti but with a square cross-section rather than round. The name comes from the traditional chitarra frame used in Abruzzo, where metal wires stretched across a wooden frame cut pasta into square strands when a sheet was pressed through. The square shape gives a slightly firmer bite and more surface texture than round spaghetti, which makes it better suited to chunkier, more robust sauces. Lamb ragù is the classic Abruzzese pairing. Use sheet thickness position 4, the same as spaghetti.
Vermicelli (1mm, round)
The vermicelli attachment cuts a 1mm round strand at position 5 on the dial. Thinner than spaghetti, it suits light sauces where something heavier would overpower the pasta. Seafood, clam sauce, and simple olive oil with garlic all work well. Avoid thick meat ragù with this shape.
Capellini (1mm, square)
The capellini attachment also cuts at 1mm but with a square cross-section, and requires the thinnest sheet setting on the machine (position 8 or 9). At this width the strands are extremely delicate and cook almost instantly. Light broths, butter-based sauces, and simple seafood preparations suit the shape best. Like vermicelli, it is not the right choice for dense, heavy sauces.
Bigoli (3.5mm, round)
The bigoli attachment cuts thick, rough-textured tubes at approximately 3.5mm in diameter, using sheet position 2. Bigoli is a Venetian pasta traditionally made with buckwheat or whole wheat flour, and the rough surface catches dense, savoury sauces particularly well. Duck ragù and anchovy-based sauces are the most common pairings. It is a more specific choice than spaghetti, but if you cook with robust, slow-cooked sauces regularly it earns its place.
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Ribbon Pasta
Ribbon attachments cut flat strips in varying widths. The wider the ribbon, the more robust the sauce it can handle.
Linguine (3mm, oval)
The linguine attachment cuts a 3mm oval strand at sheet position 4. The oval cross-section sits between spaghetti and fettuccine in terms of width and weight. It is the classic partner to pesto alla Genovese, originating from the same Ligurian region, and works well with seafood and oil-based sauces. A good first or second attachment regardless of which machine you own, as fettuccine is the only built-in cutter on the Atlas+.
Mafaldine (8mm, wavy edges)
The mafaldine attachment cuts flat 8mm strips with a ruffled, wavy edge on both sides, using sheet position 6. The shape is Neapolitan in origin and suits rich, clinging sauces: Italian sausage ragù, ricotta with tomato, and slow-cooked meat sauces all work well. Mafaldine cannot be used with the Pastadrive motor for safety reasons, so it is hand use only.
Pappardelle (10mm, straight edges)
The pappardelle attachment cuts the widest ribbon in the range at 10mm, using position 6 or 7. It originates in Tuscany and is the traditional partner to slow-cooked wild boar and hare ragù, though beef and lamb work equally well. The broad flat strip holds enough sauce in each forkful to suit something deeply flavoured and slow-cooked. Like mafaldine, it is hand use only and cannot be used with the Pastadrive motor.
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Stuffed Pasta
Ravioli (45mm square)
The ravioli attachment works differently from the cutting attachments. Rather than slicing a rolled sheet into strands, it seals and cuts filled pasta in a single pass, producing 45mm square ravioli with crimped edges. You roll two thin sheets (position 6 or 7, giving 0.8mm to 1mm thickness), lay your filling between them, and feed the whole thing through the attachment. The filling goes into a hopper that distributes it evenly as you turn the handle.
It is the most involved attachment to use, but once the technique clicks it is straightforward. Ricotta and spinach is the standard starting point, but the attachment works with any filling that holds its shape: slow-cooked meat, pumpkin and amaretto, crab, and goat's cheese with herbs are all reliable options. Avoid wet or loose fillings, which tend to prevent a clean seal. The ravioli attachment is hand use only and cannot be used with the Pastadrive motor.
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Which Attachment Should You Buy First?
The answer depends on which machine you own. If you have an Atlas+, spaghetti and fettuccine are already covered by the built-in cutters, so the linguine attachment is the most logical first addition, giving you an oval strand that suits oil-based and seafood sauces particularly well.
If you have an Atlas 150, start with the spaghetti attachment. It is the most versatile shape in the range and suits the widest variety of sauces. Linguine makes a natural second purchase from there.
If you cook a lot of filled pasta, the ravioli attachment is worth prioritising over the ribbon range regardless of which machine you own. Making ravioli by hand is the most time-consuming part of fresh pasta, and the attachment removes most of that effort. The wider ribbon shapes (mafaldine, pappardelle) are more specific and suit particular occasions, so they tend to come later once you have the everyday shapes covered.
All attachments are compatible with the Atlas 150 and Atlas+. If you own an Atlas 180, none of these attachments will fit, though the Pastadrive motor is compatible with that machine.
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