Believe it or not, there are over 500 pasta shapes in Italy. That’s a lot of pasta! Though there aren’t nearly as many types of pasta in the aisles of your local grocery store, choosing the right cut for your dish can be a difficult task. We want to help.
In general, the larger pasta shapes with hollows and sauce-hugging curves are best suited for thicker, heartier sauces, while thinner and more delicate strands are used for light oil-based or cream sauces. Some cuts, however, are regional and paired with a certain sauce or dish by tradition. But we don’t expect you to be Italian historians while shopping for pasta… that’s why we created this simple guide.
For Baked Pasta Dishes
Pasta al Forno, or baked pasta, is one of Italy’s best-loved traditions. Where once baked pasta was reserved for holidays and special occasions, we now enjoy these warm, cheesy recipes all year long. As for picking the perfect pasta shape, we recommend choosing a short cut—like Penne, Shells or Rigatoni—with hollow middles, twists or scoop-like shapes to capture all the goodness of your baked pasta: sauces, small ingredients and melty cheeses galore.
Recommended Pasta Shapes: Cavatappi, Elbows,Gemelli,Orzo,Penne Rigate,Penne Ziti,Radiatorre, Rigatoni,Shellbows, Shells,Tortiglioni.
