The Nature of Pasta

Have you ever thought about all of the different pasta shapes there are in the world? There are hundreds! Here are just a few:

Penne, Orzo, Riccioli, Rigatoni, Cannelloni, Tortellini, Casarecce, Farfalle, Fusilli, Pappardelle, Reginette, Lumaconi, Orsetti, Ditaloni, Farfalline, Grattugiata, Midolline, Stelline, Ravioli, Lasagna, Tagliatelle, Tagliatelline or Fettuccine...



I have always chosen pasta according to the shape of it, the look I wanted or what the recipe requires. Here are some interesting findings in choosing the right shaped pasta for a sauce:

Ribbon Pastas:(fettuccine, linguine, tagliatelle, spaghetti) work well with thin sauces. If the sauce is chunky, it is more difficult to eat on a ribbon pasta due to the need to roll the pasta onto a fork.

Open,Flat shapes:(bowties, etc) are good for chunkier sauces.

Scoop Shapes:(shells, cavatelli, etc) are used where the sauce needs to get inside the shape in order to taste the pasta and sauce in one bite. Thicker sauces (but not chunky) or baked pastas work well.

Closed Shapes:(penne, trenne, macaroni, etc) are good to use with heavy sauces. Baked sauces that will thicken while cooking work well. As the mixture bakes, the sauce will seep into the pasta shape where it will thicken. The final result is a "stuffed" pasta full of the sauce.

Spirals:(fusillia, radiatore, etc) are the best pasta to hold their shape. They are also great to use with chunky sauces as their shape "hook" on to the sauce pieces.

Just some things to consider when you are working with the nature of pasta!

-Fer






Pasta Picture Participants:
DaVinci Angel Hair Nest; Barilla Fettuccine; Barilla Pappardelle, Whole Foods 365 Orzo