If you’re cooking pasta, then one of the choices you’re going to have to make is what pasta shape you’re going to use in your sauce. And while most people tend to just pick up whatever pasta is most convenient to reach in their pantry, the pasta noodle you choose can actually make a difference to how your recipe turns out. So here are some considerations to keep in mind.
If you’re making a cream or oil-based sauce, then the best pasta to use is a long, skinny shape. Think spaghetti, linguine, fusilli lunghi, and vermicelli.
If you’re going for a heavier cream-based sauce, you’ll need a pasta shape that can really scoop up that sauce, like a curved shell. Think conchiglie and lumache.
If you’re making a meat sauce or one that is otherwise quite rich, the best pasta shapes are long, thick ribbons. Think tagliatelle, pappardelle, and fettuccine.
A light, smooth sauce like pesto is great with twisty pasta shapes that will give some place to cling to. Think fusilli, trofie, strozzapreti, caserecce, and gemelli.
Are you making a soup or pasta salad? Try out mini pasta shapes that are nice to eat with a big spoon. Think orzo, fregola, canestrini, and stelline.
