The 4 Best Pasta Drying Racks of 2024, Tested & Reviewed

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Never have stuck-together pasta again!

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Food & Wine/Russell Kilgore

“Life is a combination of magic and pasta,” said legendary Italian film director Federico Fellini. For those in the know, hand-crafting pasta at home is its own kind of wizardry. Having the proper tools for the job is fundamental to success, and the right pasta drying rack is no exception.

Boxed pasta is great for a weeknight dinner, but sometimes you want the texture and labor of love that is fresh pasta. To make pasta at home, we recommend investing in a pasta machine; you can also start with hand-formed shapes if you're not ready to take the plunge. Either way, your pasta-making effort may benefit from a pasta drying rack. “[Drying racks] are great for long shapes like linguine, tagliatelle or fettuccine,” says cookbook author Erin Romeo. “It keeps the strands separated for optimal airflow.” A rack isn't strictly necessary to make pasta successfully, but you'll be glad to have one to keep your homemade pasta from sticking together or losing its shape as it dries.

Whether you're making a single bowl of linguine for a solo lunch or a double batch of pappardelle for a crowd, a drying rack can ease the task. We tested 14 drying racks of various styles using several trials. We graded the success of each rack’s design, specifications, materials, ease of assembly, and storage. Here are the four we recommend most.

Streamlined and straightforward to use, this well-designed rack is compact and exceptionally useful.

When the rack is very crowded, it can be challenging to remove individual noodles without breakage.

The CucinaPro rack is a stand supporting 12 closely arranged horizontal rods sitting about 15 inches from the base, giving you ample room for even the longest strands of pasta. This also means more air circulation and thus more efficient drying. Each rod nests in the curve of the well-designed rack, making them individually removable. This eases moving pasta onto (and off) the drying rack. The only time we noted any difficulty with the proximity of the rods was when we had packed the rack with dry spaghetti. The brittle nature of the pasta required us to be extra gentle when removing the rods. But overall, the densely packed rods allowed us to dry a large amount using a relatively small amount of counter space.

This model is made of natural wood and requires assembly with a Phillips head screwdriver. It did not come with instructions, but we found putting it together intuitive and simple. Once it was together, it was surprisingly compact, and the screws holding everything in place made this rack feel extremely sturdy.

Dimensions: 11.5 x 6.5 x 13.5 inches | Design: Standing rack with 12 drying bars | Material: Unfinished wood

We loved how versatile and customizable this rack is.

This rack is large and expensive, which may not be worth it to those who don't make pasta very often.

We loved the versatility of this rack, which is designed to dry both long and short pasta types. The horizontal mesh racks are stackable, allowing you to set up just one, all four, or however many you need. You can even use the racks to dry mushrooms, fruits, vegetables, spices, herbs, and other non-pasta items. Each layer is a roomy 20 by 16 inches, which gave us a lot of area to space out our pasta.

The design of this dryer is more flexible and practical for pasta shapes of all kinds and is excellent for drying pasta in bulk. “As a meal prepper, I love making pasta in bulk. Freezing dried pasta keeps it fresh for several months,” advises Romeo. The large size and high price tag are worth it for serious pasta-makers who make pasta often and in large batches, but this rack might not be worth the space and financial commitment for casual pasta-makers.

Dimensions: 1 x 20 x 16 inches (each tier); 20 x 20 x 16 inches (fully assembled) | Design: Flat, tiered mesh shelves | Materials: Beechwood, plastic

This collapsible rack is an inexpensive choice for small spaces and casual pasta-makers.

The plastic material isn't the most durable.

If you're looking for a straightforward pasta drying rack that won't blow your budget, this Ourokhome model is for you. With no assembly required, the spoke-style rack and sturdy feet are made for easy use. During testing, we noted that the arms are relatively close together, but since the spokes easily drop down, there is plenty of space to move pasta onto the rack without maneuvering around each spoke. This compact pasta drying rack is just the trick for kitchens without extra storage space.

The fabrication and design are functional and work as intended, exceeding expectations at this price point. However, plastic racks are less durable than wood, and you get what you pay for in terms of material quality. If you're a beginner or a more casual pasta maker who won't be pushing your rack to its limits, this rack will likely hold up just fine.

Dimensions: 12 x 16 inches (open); 8 x 3.5 inches (folded) | Design: Standing spindled rack with 10 arms | Material: Plastic

We loved the durable bamboo construction and easily maneuverable arms on this drying rack.

The arms are grouped a little too close together, which makes removing the pasta a challenge.

Bamboo is an incredibly strong and flexible wood, making Weston's drying rack very durable. It's also a great material for absorbing some moisture without drying out the pasta too much. Five dowels are threaded through the main post to create ten arms in this rack; The arms move freely so we could position and adjust them however we liked. Though the arms are long and move around, the solid base kept the rack sturdy, and it didn't tip in testing. The rack was super-easy to assemble and broke down easily for compact storage.

All the dowels are closely grouped at the top of the main post, which keeps long pasta strands from touching the countertop. The downside is that since they're very close together and the dowels thread through the post rather than separating in half, it was difficult to carefully extract the pasta one dowel at a time.Dimensions: 14 x 14 x 16 inches | Design: Standing spindled rack with ten arms | Material: Bamboo

We loved the CucinaPro Drying Rack for its ease of use, quality construction, and drying performance. For small spaces and small budgets, we love the value of the Ourokhome Collapsible Pasta Drying Rack.

The first step in testing past racks is to make a few batches of pasta dough. We assembled 14 pasta racks, before making an egg-enriched pasta dough. We then used the manufacturer’s instructions (when available) to dry the pasta. On the spindle-style racks with arms, this included carefully draping the pasta over the arms and rotating them to ensure the noodles weren’t touching each other. For racks with drying bars, we removed a bar at a time before draping it with pasta and replacing it before repeating that step with the other bars. Lastly, for the tiered shelf-style rack, we laid the pasta gently on each shelf, ensuring no strand was touching.

We allowed the pasta to dry and then carefully removed it from the drying rack, following the manufacturer’s instructions. We noted any difficulty adding or removing pasta and examined its texture. We then boiled the pasta until al dente and tasted it, paying attention to the doneness and texture.

Finally, we followed the manufacturer's instructions to wash and dry the pasta drying rack. For applicable models, we folded or collapsed them to determine how well they collapsed for storage.

After completing each testing stage, we evaluated the quality of each rack, noting any awkward or cumbersome parts, problems with pasta slipping, or if the orientation of the drying rack arms allowed for the noodles to dry without coming into contact with other pieces of pasta. After testing was complete, we ranked each rack on performance, ease of use, design, and value.

The spindle-style drying rack is best if you’ll only make long pasta types or don’t mind drying your short pasta using a different rack. We found two styles we like, one with a central spoke and rotating arms and the other with horizontal rods arranged side-by-side and nested into a frame. Both are effective and do the job. But if you’re more likely to make ravioli, tortellini, orecchiette, and other small, flat pasta shapes, a rack with horizontal, ventilated shelves is a more versatile option.

Natural unfinished wood is the tried-and-true route for pasta drying racks. Plenty of other options are available, including plastic, aluminum, and silicone; while these won't ruin your pasta, unfinished wood is our first choice since it absorbs moisture. Plastic and other slippery surfaces do have the advantage of reduced friction, so pasta will slide off more readily. This is good if your dough is a bit wetter, or for pasta that isn't as heavily dusted with flour.

There are many things to consider when selecting a pasta drying rack. How much pasta do you make at one time? How much counter space do you have? Are you using a pasta maker, or will you mostly shape pasta by hand? What kind of storage space do you have for a drying rack? All of these things may inform not just the style of rack you purchase but also its size. More, longer arms (or more, larger layers of horizontal racks) can hold more pasta, but they also take up more space in the kitchen. Be sure to take a look at your rack's size, both collapsed and fully assembled.

Most of the drying racks we tested were simple to clean. Dried strands slipped off leaving no residue, and the parts needed little more than a quick wipe with a dry towel to store away for next time. Over time, buildup can occur on tools that come in contact with flour and dough, so a rack that comes apart easily and doesn't have many nooks and crannies for gunk to hide is best to keep your drying rack clean throughout its lifetime.

A traditional wooden rack is Erin Romeo’s preference. “If I’m not using my grandmother's hand-me-down, you can find me using a collapsible wooden rack that’s easy to store away,” she says. Generally, you'll want to look for one that fits in your kitchen and can accommodate the amount of pasta you usually make. In terms of material, wood is best, but plastic also performs well.

Most fresh pasta is made with raw eggs, so unlike dried pasta bought in stores, it's perishable. If you're using egg dough, a quick dry of about 30 minutes will solidify the shape and improve the texture. The goal is a slightly leathery surface; this will give you the best texture when you bite into it, and the rough surface will help sauce cling to your pasta.Pasta made with egg dough can be left on a rack for up to 2 hours, but any longer is inadvisable from a food-safety perspective. If you don't plan to cook your pasta immediately, you can dry it for closer to 2 hours and then store in the fridge for up to a week. (But it's best to cook it sooner; after a day or two, the texture degrades significantly.)For semolina-based pasta dough that doesn't contain any egg, a 30-minute dry time is also plenty if you plan to cook it that day. However, this type of dough can be more fully dried and is fine at room temperature for extended periods. Drying homemade semolina pasta can make it very brittle and prone to breaking, so for the best texture and shape, you usually won't need more than a few hours. To save semolina pasta for long-term storage, dry it for roughly 2 hours, then spread it evenly on a lined sheet tray and freeze for 4 hours. Transfer the pasta into a freezer-safe container, and it'll keep for 3 to 6 months in the freezer.

Unfinished wood is the best material for a pasta drying rack. Drying your pasta is all about reducing the moisture in the dough, and slightly absorbent unfished wood wicks moisture out of the noodles. A nonstick surface is actually worse for a drying rack, as microscopic water droplets can condense underneath the pasta and create soggy spots. If you're concerned about sticking, dust the noodles well with standard or semolina flour before hanging them on your rack.

Yes! For centuries, Italian grandmothers have been using whatever they have on hand to dry pasta. The back of a chair, a clothes hanger, twine secured with clothespins, a broom handle, and plain old dish towels laid on a tabletop are all viable options. Whatever surface you choose, just make sure it is clean and dry. You can lay a thin dish towel down over any surface that's not normally used for food to keep things sanitary, but that can potentially interfere with even drying. The purpose of a pasta drying rack is to circulate air all over the surface of the dough — whatever setup lets air get to your pasta will help dry it, so you can get creative!

Bisetti Beechwood Collapsible Pasta Drying Rack ($24 on Amazon)

This beechwood model wasn’t as sturdy as other racks, which was no surprise as we felt the materials were flimsier than other racks we tried. Designed to fold closed, the Bisetti feels like its base is unstable and subject to shifting from even slight movements.

Marcato Pasta Rack ($60 on Amazon)This costly aluminum pasta dryer sports a spindle design like the other racks we tested. Though it did its job effectively, its legs don’t lock so it was wobbly, and the arms located at the base of the spindle are so low we’re not sure they’re beneficial.

While a good handful of pasta racks impressed us, a few fell short. We tested racks from brands like Norpro, Bellemain, Imperia, Crate & Barrel, and more that didn’t land a spot on our list of recommendations. In some models, we felt construction was cheap and unstable. Others experienced issues with sticking or were too small to be useful. Instead, we opted for models that were easy to assemble, had a wide surface area, and offered a low-hassle experience.