How To · pairing
How to Choose the Right Pasta Shape for Sauce
A simple guide to matching long, short, ridged and tubular pasta shapes with creamy, tomato, chunky and lighter sauces.
Different pasta shapes hold sauce in different ways.
Long pasta
Spaghetti, linguine and fettuccine work well with smooth sauces that can coat long strands.
Tubes
Rigatoni, penne and ziti are useful for thick tomato sauces, creamy sauces and sauces with small pieces because the sauce can collect inside the pasta.
Ridged shapes
Ridges give sauce more surface to cling to.
Twists and spirals
Fusilli and rotini are useful for pesto, vegetable sauces and thicker sauces that can settle into the curves.
Match texture, not just tradition
The best pairing is often the one that helps the sauce stay on the pasta and makes the dish easy to eat.
