Food - Drink
The Best Type Of Pasta To Pair With Hearty Sauces And Toppings
By CATHERINE WOMACK
While many people reach for a random box of pasta when planning to whip up a pasta dish, it isn't a one-size-fits-all ingredient. Different styles and shapes are better suited to different dishes and sauces, and learning the correct way to use pasta makes the most of your sauces and helps distribute toppings more evenly.
Long, thin pasta like spaghetti and fettuccine works best with lighter, thinner sauces, while smaller pasta, like ditali, is perfect for soups. Pasta with holes and crevices, like shells or elbow macaroni, is ideal for mac and cheese.
Rigatoni is the best pasta for thicker sauces and baked dishes like casseroles since its large size holds up well, whereas a delicate pasta like angel hair might fall apart. Bow ties, ziti, or penne, which can be stabbed by a fork together with chunks of meat or vegetables, are perfect for thicker, chunkier sauces.