Pasta La Vista, Baby!

Too many pastas, too many choices. Every pasta’s shape and texture has a big role to play in the sauce pairings. Thick or thin, warm or cold, it is important that the sauces are paired right to enjoy these pastas like they were meant to be. While sturdier noodles stand up to heavy cream-based and meat sauces, the delicate pastas compliment oil-based entrees. Ofcourse, some of them go well with almost any gravy, but this article will explore the pairings for your pasta dinners and make you the master chef that you dream to be.

There are 7 types of pastas used commonly that you need to be aware of, if you aren’t already.

• Penne
• Farfalle
• Fusilli
• Spaghetti
• Linguine
• Shells
• Orzo

Each of these pastas should be be paired with the right sauce to bring out the flavours of each and enjoy it as an utterly delicious meal.

Penne:

This pasta should be paired with chunky sauces so that the sauce creeps into the tubes and grips the pastas giving it a very rich texture and taste. Penne pasta can also be baked with the choice of toppings. For meat lovers, the bolognese sauce served along with a generous topping of cheese will make this a complete Italian meal.

Plate up a traditional Pasta Alla Norma Nuda with this delicious recipe

Farfalle:

Also known as Bowtie pasta, this one can be paired with almost any type of sauce due to its ribbon like pleats. Enjoy this delicious pasta in pesto, creamy wine sauce or just four cheese for a much more sophisticated version of the mac & cheese.

Try this Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta with this great recipe

Fusilli:

Paired best with thicker sauces, Fusillis spiral shaped pasta will grip the sauces well. Pair this pasta with bolognese or chunky tomato sauce for best dining experience. Fusilli is most commonly available in tri-color which will add to the presentation of the dish.

A must try colorful Bell Pepper Pasta Salad. Here’s the recipe

Spaghetti:

Most of us have had spaghetti with the classic meat ball sauce. But this is best enjoyed with oil-based sauces as it cannot cling onto any other sauce well. Smoother, oil-based sauces will help the pasta soak in the flavor. You can either keep the pasta simple with a toss of olive oil or be creative with kale pesto.

Get creative with this recipe for Spaghetti in Kale Pesto

Linguine:

This pasta can be paired with both thin and thick sauces. The flat noodle texture clings well to a thick, rich alfredo to a lighter, basic tomato sauce. Toss this pasta with broth, clam juice and herbs for a very traditional Italian styled meal.

A must try for pasta lover. Click here to view the recipe for Mushroom Bolognese with Gremolata

Shells:

These shells comes in large, medium and mini shells. While the large shells can be stuffed with ricotta cheese and coated with marinara sauce and topped off generously with melting mozzarella, the medium shells make for a great base for pasta salads. The mini shells can be drowned in creamy sauce which the kids will surely love.

Give this one a try. Click here for the recipe for Roasted Red Pepper Macaroni and Cheese

Orzo:

Orzo is rice-shaped pasta. Due to its small size, Orzo is best eaten cold in oil-based pasta salads. On a cold winter day, Orzo can be enjoyed when paired with a thinner white wine or browned butter sauce.

Click here to view the recipe for Grilled Corn and Tomato Orzo with White Wine Sauce

If you know a better way to prepare pastas, do let us know in the comments section below.

If you are hard pressed for time, FreshMenu offers a delicious range of pastas to order in.