Choose the right kind of pasta for your sauce

Whether you're the inventive DIY pasta maker or the buy-pasta-from-the-store type, there's an endless list of types of pasta, from spaghetti, penne and fusilli to farfalle to choose from. However, not all pasta is created equally and not all sauces work with any pasta shape. Follow our easy guidelines to pairing your sauce with the perfect pasta for your craving.

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THIN SAUCES

When making a thin sauce, such as a white wine seafood sauce, it’s best to use a pasta with a large surface area or one shaped in a way that can hold the sauce. Try using linguine, which has enough surface area to adhere to the sauce. You can also use orecchiette, which is shaped like a bowl, and perfect for holding all that sauce.

THICK SAUCES

Thick sauces are ideal for long thin pastas like spaghetti; the sauce latches onto the pasta with ease. A tip when using vegetables and spaghetti is to either chop them finely or lengthways – this makes it easier to get a little bit of everything on your fork.

MEAT SAUCES

Penne, rigatoni or dried gnocchi shells love meat sauces, the meat and delicious sauce fill all the crevices of the pasta and create a more enjoyable mouthful. Slow-cook beef or lamb until it forms a ragu, then toss through cooked rigatoni for a hearty pasta dinner.

YUMMY PASTA RECIPES TO TRY

Lemon and spinach carbonara
Spaghetti with rocket, spinach and pecans
Green chicken pasta
Fettucini al fredo
Gnocchi with tomato sauce & pancetta