The Best Pasta Shape for Every Pasta Sauce, According to an Expert

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The Best Pasta Shape for Every Pasta Sauce, According to an Expert

When it comes to pasta, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. Different pasta shapes are better suited to different sauces, and the right pairing can make all the difference. To help you navigate the world of pasta, we spoke with Meryl Feinstein, a chef and author of the James Beard Award-winning cookbook "Pasta Every Day: Make It, Shape It, Sauce It, Eat It". Here are her expert tips for choosing the right pasta shape for every pasta sauce.

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Long Pastas

When we think of traditional pasta shapes, long, twirlable noodles like spaghetti or bucatini come to mind. These shapes actually pair best with lighter sauces, such as aglio e olio or pesto. "Delicate pastas pair well with delicate sauces," Feinstein explains. More delicate cream sauces, like white wine cream or fettuccine Alfredo, also work well with these shapes. She also recommends trying traditional Italian pasta shapes like trenette and trofie with pesto.

Short Pastas

Unlike long pastas, short pastas are too small to be twirled with a fork and work best with sauces that have a bit of texture. When preparing a dish with bite-size chunks of meat or vegetables, a short pasta like rigatoni, penne, orecchiette, farfalle, or cavatappi is a good choice. These shapes are also perfect for pasta salads, as they retain their texture for longer and can be eaten easily without the need to twirl the noodles.

Pastina

Tucked away in the pasta family are small, hole-y shapes like orzo, ditalini, and stelline. These shapes are perfect for tiny, bite-sized dishes like soups or risottos. "When you’re thinking about soups, you want to find pastas that fit on a spoon," Feinstein says.

Filled Pastas

When cooking with filled pastas, consider what’s in the filling and how it will complement the sauce. Simple fillings like cheese or meat work well with tomato sauces, while more complex fillings like mushroom, butternut squash, or pumpkin are best left in the spotlight. "If you’re experimenting in the filling department or you’re using bolder flavors, I tend to reach for the butter sauces just because they’re glossy and delicious, but they take a back seat to the filling itself," she says.

Baked Pastas

When making a baked pasta dish, sturdy shapes like ziti and thick lasagna sheets are a good choice. These shapes can stand up to being cooked twice (boiled then baked) without compromising their texture. Dishes like lasagna and baked ziti can even be frozen and reheated, thanks to their chewy pasta bases.

The Bottom Line

When choosing a pasta shape, consider what you are pairing it with and what type of dish you are making. Long, thin pastas take well to delicate sauces, while long, ribbony pastas take well to meat sauces. Short pastas work best with chunky sauces and ingredients. Small pastas in the pastina category are lovely in soups. And finally, when making a baked pasta dish, be sure to use a sturdier pasta shape. But, if you find yourself making sauce and you don’t have the right pasta shape on hand, it’s okay to go rogue and use what you’ve got. As Feinstein said, "Don’t overthink it."

FAQs

• Q: What’s the best pasta shape for a tomato sauce?
  A: Long, ribbony pastas like tagliatelle and pappardelle pair well with tomato sauces.
• Q: What’s the best pasta shape for a creamy sauce?
  A: Delicate pastas like spaghetti and fettuccine work well with creamy sauces like white wine cream or fettuccine Alfredo.
• Q: What’s the best pasta shape for a chunky sauce?
  A: Short pastas like rigatoni, penne, and farfalle are perfect for chunky sauces and ingredients.
• Q: What’s the best pasta shape for a soup?
  A: Small pastas in the pastina category, like orzo and stelline, are lovely in soups.
• Q: What’s the best pasta shape for a baked dish?
  A: Sturdy shapes like ziti and thick lasagna sheets are a good choice for baked pasta dishes.