Pasta is a favorite meal everywhere, and with its extensive range of shapes and textures, it is the ideal option for nearly every type of sauce. But with all these different pasta shapes, it can be a bit confusing at times to know which one to use. Don't worry! This guide will take you through the various pasta types and shapes so that you'll always have the new pasta shapes to use for your meals.
Spaghetti is arguably the most popular pasta shape names. Long and thin, but cylindrical in shape, this form of pasta lends itself to being used in all manner of dishes. It's usually served with tomato-based sauces, such as marinara, or light sauces such as garlic and olive oil. Spaghetti can also be used for bolognese or carbonara.
Best to use with: Tomato sauces, meat sauces, creamy sauces, and light oil-based sauces.
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Penne is another traditional pasta shape and is available in two types: smooth (penne lisce) and ridged (penne rigate). Due to the tube shape, penne picks up sauces quite well, so it's perfect for thicker, chunkier sauces.
Best to use with: Thick tomato sauces, meatballs, or creamy pesto.
Fusilli is a corkscrew-shaped pasta and is an excellent choice for retaining sauce. Its spiral shape is perfect for catching light and heavy sauces. The shape works well with vegetables or meat sauce.
Best to use with: Pesto, vegetable-based sauces, or meat sauces. The shape is also ideal for baked pasta dishes!
Farfalle, which has a bow-tie appearance, is a playful pasta to work with. Its distinctive texture and appearance make it a favorite to add to pasta salads. Farfalle also withstands thicker sauces quite well, so it is a great option for many various dishes.
Best to use with: Creamy sauces, pasta salads, and vegetable-based dishes.
Rigatoni is another type of tube-shaped pasta, but it’s much larger than penne. The ridges on rigatoni help trap sauces, making it ideal for chunkier, meat-based sauces. This is a great pasta shape for baked dishes like baked ziti or macaroni and cheese.
Best to use with: Thick tomato sauces, chunky meat sauces, and for baked pasta dishes.
Rotini looks similar to fusilli but is a bit shorter and thicker. These tight spirals are perfect for holding onto sauces, especially when you need a pasta that can absorb all the flavors. You’ll often find rotini in salads or mixed with hearty sauces.
Best to use with: Pesto, marinara, and creamy sauces, as well as for pasta salads.
Orecchiette, which literally translates to "little ears" in Italian, is a tiny, round shape that resembles teeny cups. It's often served in Southern Italian cooking, specifically in Puglia, with broccoli rabe and sausage. The distinctive shape allows it to hold sauces really well, especially those containing small pieces of meat or vegetables.
Best paired with: Thick vegetable-based sauces, greens, and meat, or with a full-bodied tomato sauce.
Tagliatelle is a flat, long pasta that's almost identical to fettuccine, but a bit thinner. It's usually served with rich meaty sauces such as ragù, especially in classic Italian dishes such as Bolognese. Tagliatelle is ideal for coating in thick sauces, so it's a great option for highly flavored dishes.
Best to use with: Meat sauces such as Bolognese, creamy mushroom sauces, or any rich, hearty sauce.
Ravioli is pasta that has been filled with a range of ingredients, from cheese to meat to veg. It's a great choice if you want a comforting, flavorful meal. If you go for store-bought or homemade ravioli, it tends to be served with light sauces to serve as a foil to the filling.
Best to use with: Light butter sauces, cream sauces, or a simple olive oil and herbs drizzle.
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Cavatappi is a stubby pasta with a corkscrew shape. It is a little like elbow macaroni but a bit more interesting. This is a good choice for creamy or chunky sauce dishes, since the twists in the pasta are great at trapping the sauce.
Best to use with: Cheese sauces, creamy pasta meals, or used in baked pasta casseroles.
Tortellini is a filled pasta, but smaller and ring-shaped. Often stuffed with cheese, meat, or even spinach, tortellini may be used in soups, served as the main dish, or as a part of a pasta salad.
Best to use with: Brothy soups, creamy sauces, or simply an olive oil and herb blend.
Ziti closely resembles penne but without ridges. This smooth tube formation is excellent for holding sauces, particularly when baked. Ziti is commonly employed in traditional baked pasta recipes such as ziti al forno.
Best to use with: Tomato-based sauces, meatball recipes, or for baked pasta cooking.
Pappardelle is a broad, flat noodle that's similar to fettuccine but wider. Pappardelle is ideal for rich, hearty sauces, such as those served with game meats or braised dishes. Pappardelle has just the right surface area to cling to thick sauces, so it's a go-to for decadent, indulgent meals.
Best to use with: Meat sauces, braised meats, or wild game.
Conchiglie, also referred to as "shell" pasta, is little seashells-shaped, and the pastas exist in small and large sizes. They are ideal for scooping up chunks of chunky sauce within them, so it is one of the best pasta shapes to use when the dish has a heavy serving of vegetables or ground meat.
Best to use with: Baked pasta, vegetable sauces, or chunky meat sauces.
Bucatini is thick, spaghetti-like pasta, but with a tunnel running down the center. This provides it with an interesting texture and makes it ideal for filling sauces as well. Bucatini is usually employed in classic Italian recipes such as "cacio e pepe."
Best to use with: Creamy, peppery sauces, and dense tomato-based sauces.
Lasagna consists of broad, flat sheets of pasta stacked with sauce, cheese, and other ingredients to produce a rich, baked meal. The lasagna sheets are normally pre-cooked prior to stacking them in the casserole dish.
Best to use with: Layered casseroles and baked meals, particularly those with cheese and meat sauces.
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When it comes to selecting the perfect pasta shapes, it really all comes down to the type of sauce you're using and the texture you desire in your dish. Whether you're seeking a pasta that will cling to a chunky sauce, one that will catch every drop of a creamy sauce, or one that can be baked into a cozy casserole, there's a shape that's perfect for every meal.
The next time you're in the pasta section, don't be shy about trying out various shapes of pasta. Each has its own unique texture and taste to offer, so you can get the best out of every meal. Happy cooking!
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