People love pasta! These yummy bites - served with finger-licking sauces - come in various sizes, shapes and colours. Let us agree pasta is an easy way to please even the most finicky eaters, right? This Italian dish is considered one of the best comfort meals (you can always elevate the experience with a glass of wine). It is a no-fuss dish and can be prepared in minutes without any genius cooking skills. From experimenting with various kinds of pasta like fusilli, penne or spaghetti, to enhancing the flavours of different sauces such as tomato sauce, creamy white sauce or meaty bolognese - pasta gives you ample room for creativity.
Although you can play around with the quantity of vegetables, spices, herbs and various other ingredients, pairing and understanding the consistency of sauces is the key to preparing a yumilicious pasta dish. Confused? Allow us to explain. There are some shapes and textures of pasta like penne or fusilli that hold thicker sauces, while other varieties are more suited for baking.
Also Read: 13 Best Easy Pasta Recipes | Quick Pasta Recipes
Pasta is one of the most loved Italian dishes.
We have made the job easy for you by pairing pasta with the most appropriate sauces. Take a look:
1.Tube Like Pasta
Penne, Macaroni, Rigatoni, Cannelloni, and Ziti are known as tube-like pasta. They come with a hollow centre and are able to hold up a good dose of sauce within. In each bite, you will get a mouthfeel of pasta as well as a flavourful sauce. Pair up these tube-like pasta with chunky tomato sauce, or Marinara sauce. You can also use Arrabiata sauce.
2. Ridge Pasta
This variety of pasta - which includes Penne, Farfalle, Fusilli, Orecchiette, Rigatoni, and Cavatelli - traps the goodness and flavours of sauces in its ridges and curves. They are an ideal option if you are looking forward to making baked pasta. You can pair these pastas with the popular Italian meat sauce - Ragu or can opt for a cheesy and creamy alternative like Alfredo.
3. Stuffed Pasta
The best part about stuffed pasta is that you can fill them up with your favourite ingredients - vegetables, minced chicken or mutton, even an extra dose of cheese. You can use pastas like ravioli, tortellini, conchiglie, agnolotti, pansotti, and cannelloni. Check out this recipe of ravioli with coconut milk and lemongrass sauce.
4. Thin Pasta
Spaghetti-like pastas like Angel Hair or Capellini are best paired with tomato or garlic and oil-based sauce. These thin and delicate noodles don't sit well with creamy and cheesy sauce as they are heavy and would simply weigh them down. They are usually paired with the lighter sauce category, Aglio Olio being a popular choice. Many even prefer their spaghetti with Carbonara and Bolognese sauces.
5. Flat Pasta
Fettucine, Linguine, Tagliatelle, and Parpadelle are slightly thicker than Spaghetti or Angel Hair pasta, therefore they can hold hearty, and meaty sauces. Usually, they find perfect pairing in creamy and cheesy creations like the Alfredo sauce. The thicker version of these flat noodles - Tagliatelle, and Parpadelle - taste better when served with the pesto and peas combination.
6. Sheet Pasta
Sheet pasta also known as Lasagne is a delectable indulgence for all pasta lovers. It is a popular layered recipe which can be loaded with minced meat, and chunky pieces of vegetables (between the sheets) and baked to perfection in a casserole. Sauces which go well with sheet pasta or Lasagne are Marinara, Bechamel, and even Pesto sauce.
Going forward, pair your pasta with the appropriate sauce for a divine mouth-watering experience.