How to Choose the Right Pasta Shape
Pairing the appropriate sauce with a specific pasta shape really makes a difference in the flavor of the dish.
from The Cheating Chef's Secret Cookbook
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Rigatoni
Ideal for dense, heavy, wetter sauces and for baked dishes. Try this Rustic Grilled Vegetable and Rigatoni Salad recipe.
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Penne
Perfect for lighter tomato-based sauces like this Penne Alla Vodka recipe.
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Fusilli
Ideal for adding to luncheon salads. Try this Zucchini Fusilli recipe.
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Spaghetti
Perfect for lighter sauces and oil-and-garlic combinations.
Try the Spaghetti With Cherry Tomatoes recipe
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Bucatini
Perfect for hearty, drier sauces containing meat or ham.
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Farfalle
A natural for seafood pastas in lighter, cream-based sauces.
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Pappardelle
Withstands heavy ragus of lamb or duck.
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Orecchiette
Goes best with dryer pasta sauces, like broccoli rabe with sausage and oil.
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Radiatore
Most delicious when paired with heavier, wetter sauces.
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Cappelli d’Angelo
Ideal in broth-based pasta sauces.
