FORMAS DE PASTA
Pasta Shapes When making delicious pasta dishes, be sure to choose a pasta shape and sauce that complement each other. Thin, delicate pastas like angel hair or thin spaghetti, should be served with light, thin sauces. Thicker pasta shapes, like fettuccine, work well with heavier sauces. Pasta shapes with holes or ridges like mostaccioli or radiatore, are perfect for chunkier sauces.
Acini di Pepe (“Peppercorn”) – Alphabet Pasta: Acini di Pepe is perfect to use in soup This favorite kids’ shape is usually recipes. These shapes are ideal to used in soups for a fun meal anytime. include in broths.
Anellini - Tiny rings of pasta. Anellini is a smaller version of Anelli pasta. It is used in various soups and is also a compliment to a number of salads.
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Angel Hair, Capellini (“Fine Hairs”) – These thin, delicate pasta strands are best if used with thinner, delicate sauces. Other uses: break in half and put in soup; use in salads or stir-fry meals.
Bow Ties, Farfalle (“Butterflies”) – Buctani - Thick Spaghetti shaped Bow Ties brighten any meal with their pasta that is hollow in the center, interesting shape. Thick enough for a similar to a thin straw. Bucatini is the variety of sauces, or a perfect addition perfect choice for nearly any sauce, or to a number of salad or soup recipes. it can be used to make casseroles or stir-fry dishes. Go beyond tomato sauce and see what your favorite becomes.
Campanelle (“Bells”) – Campanelle pasta resembles a small cone with a ruffled edge. Pair Campanelle pasta with meat, cream, vegetable or oil based sauces. Also, these shapes are great when used in pasta salads.
Cappelletti – Cappelletti pasta is folded and then twisted to form the shape of a small hat. On occasion, this pasta is sometimes referred to as an alpine hat.
Casarecce - Casarecce pasta is Cavatappi (“Corkscrew”) - The tight shaped like a very narrow, twisted and spiral locks-in the flavor allowing the rolled tube. This pasta is best used shape to pair with both simple and when serving a meat sauce and can be sophisticated sauces. Pair Cavatappi used in a variety of casserole dishes. with meat, cream, vegetable or oil based sauces. Also, these shapes are great when used in pasta salads.
Cavatelli – Cavatelli resemble tiny NATIONAL PASTA ASSOCIATION
Ditalini (“Little Thimbles”) – This
hot dog buns. These shapes are versatile shape can be used as the commonly served with thick, chunky base of any dish. Bake it, stir it into sauces or in pasta salads. Cavatelli soups, or create great salads and stirpairs nicely with meat, cream, seafood fry dishes. or vegetable sauces.
Egg Noodles (Medium) - (From Egg Noodles (Wide) – (From “Nudel,” German meaning paste with “Nudel,” German meaning paste with egg) – This size of Egg Noodle can be egg) – Go beyond the traditional baked, tossed in soups or salads, or Stroganoff and use, Wide Egg topped with cream, tomato, cheese or Noodles to create soups, salads and meat sauces. casseroles. Or, top with a variety of sauces.
Elbow Macaroni – A highly versatile Farfalline – Farfalline is s small shape that can be topped with any version of the bow tie or butterfly sauce, baked, or put in soups, salads shaped pasta. This versatile shape can and stir-fry dishes. Elbow Macaroni is be used as the base of any dish. Bake traditionally used to make Macaroni it, stir it into soups, or create great and Cheese. salads and stir-fry dishes.
Fideo – Short thin strands of pasta that are slightly curved. Fideo pasta is commonly used in various soup recipes. NATIONAL PASTA ASSOCIATION
Fusilli (“Twisted Spaghetti”) – This long, spiraled shape can be topped with any sauce, broken in half and added to soups, or turned into a beautiful salad. Fusilli also bakes well
in casseroles.
Gemili (“Twins”) - Add a touch of style to any dish with this distinctive shape. Gemeilli pairs nicely with meat, cream, seafood and vegetable sauces.
Gigli (“Lilies”)– Gigli is a fluted edge piece of pasta that has been rolled into a cone shaped flower. Gigli is perfect for heavier sauces, like cheese, meat and tomato or it is a perfect addition to a number of casseroles.
Jumbo Shells – Best when stuffed Lasagna (From “lasanum,” Latin for with your favorite mixtures of cheese, pot) – Create original Lasagna meat and vegetables. Stuff with meat casseroles by using chopped flavored with taco seasoning, top with vegetables, cheeses and any kind of salsa and bake for a delicious sauce. You can also assemble your Mexican dish, or create your own casserole and freeze it for later meal. stuffed treat.
Linguine (“Little Tongues”) - A Macaroni (“Dumpling”) – A highly great shape to compliment a variety of versatile shape that can be topped sauces. Also a good choice for salads with any sauce, baked, or put in and stir-fry dishes. soups, salads and stir-fry dishes.
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Manicotti (“Small Muffs”) – Stuff Manicotti with a mixture of meat, cheese and vegetables, top with your favorite sauce, and bake.
Medium Shells, Conchiglie – (“Shells”) Shells make a great addition to soups or as the base of a wonderful salad. Try remaking your favorite Macaroni and Cheese using Shells, for a fun twist on a timehonored tradition.
Orecchiette (“Little Ears”) – These “little ears” are commonly served with thick, chunky sauces or in pasta salads.
Orzo (“Barley”) – This small, grain shaped pasta can be topped with any sauce, added to soups, or baked as a casserole. Perfect as a side dish as well as a main course.
Penne, Mostaccioli (“Quills” and Penne (“Quills” or “Feathers”) – “Small Mustaches”) – This tubular Penne compliment virtually every pasta compliments a variety of sauces, sauce and are exceptional when is frequently used in salads, baked in paired with a chunky sauce. Penne casseroles, or made into stir fry pairs nicely with chunky meat, dishes. chunky vegetable, cream, or oil based sauces. Also, these shapes are great for baking dishes.
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Penne Rigate (“Quills” or Pipe Rigate - A hollow curved pasta “Feathers”)- Penne compliment that resembles a snail shell. This virtually every sauce and are shape has a wide opening at one end exceptional when paired with a and the other end is flattened. Pipe chunky sauce. Penne Rigate are Rigate pairs nicely with chunky meat, ridged and ideal to lock-in flavor. chunky vegetable, cream, or oil based Penne Rigate pairs nicely with chunky sauces. meat, chunky vegetable, cream, or oil based sauces. Also, these shapes are great for baking dishes.
Pipette Rigate – This shape is a Radiatori (“Radiators”) – This smaller version of Pipe Rigate. Pipette ruffled, ridged shape adds elegance to Rigate pairs nicely with chunky meat, any sauce. It also works well baked in chunky vegetable, cream, or oil based casseroles, or used in salads and sauces. Also, these shapes are great soups. for baking dishes.
Ravioli - Ravioli are square round pillows of pasta that have a filling consisting of ingredients such as cheese, meats, vegetables and seasonings. Ravioli can be served with a red sauce or it can be served with butter, oil or cream. NATIONAL PASTA ASSOCIATION
Reginette – Reginette is wide, flat ribbon pasta that has rippled edges on both sides. This shape is similar to Lasagna.
Riccioli (“Curl”) -Riccioli’s twisted Rigatoni (“Large Grooved”) shape holds bits of meat, vegetables Rigatoni’s ridges and holes are and cheese, so it works well with a perfect with any sauce, from cream or variety of sauces, or you can use it to cheese to the chunkiest meat sauces. create fun salads, baked casseroles, or stir-fry meals.
Rocchetti (“Spool”) – This short pasta is perfect for preparing casseroles and salads.
Rotelle (“Little Wheels”) -The cartwheel is not a classic Italian shape, but due to the variety of color and entertaining shape they are crowd favorite. Because the spokes of the wheels are good for capturing flavor, these shapes are easy to pair. Rotelle pasta pairs nicely with meat, cream, seafood or vegetable sauces.
Rotini (“Spirals” or “Twists”) – Small Shells - Shells make a great Rotini’s twisted shape holds bits of addition to soups or as the base of a meat, vegetables and cheese, so it wonderful salad. Try remaking your works well with any sauce, or you can favorite Macaroni and Cheese using use it to create fun salads, baked Shells, for a fun twist on a timecasseroles, or stir-fry meals. honored tradition.
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Spaghetti – (“A length of Cord”) Thin Spaghetti – Thin Spaghetti is America’s favorite shape, Spaghetti is very similar to Vermicelli. Each one the perfect choice for nearly any is slightly thinner than Spaghetti. sauce, or it can be used to make Thin Spaghetti is perfect topped with casseroles or stir-fry dishes. Go any sauce, or as a salad or stir-fry beyond tomato sauce and see what ingredient. your favorite becomes.
Tortellini – Tortellini is a ring-shaped Tortiglioni – Tortiglioni is narrow, pasta typically stuffed with meat, tubular pasta. This shape is cheese or vegetables. Tortellini is commonly used to add decoration to commonly served in a broth or cream salads or paired with a simple sauce. sauce.
Tripolini – Tripolini is a tiny bow tie Tubini - A medium-sized, tubular shaped pasta used in soups and salads pasta shape, Tubini is perfect for or paired with a simple sauce. chunky sauces and meat dishes. It also makes wonderful salads, baked dishes and stir-fry meals.
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Vermicelli – (“Little Worms”) Slightly thinner than Spaghetti, Vermicelli is good topped with any sauce, or as a salad or stir-fry ingredient.
Ziti (“Bridegrooms”) – A mediumsized, tubular pasta shape, Ziti is perfect for chunky sauces and meat dishes. It also makes wonderful salads, baked dishes and stir-fry meals.
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Wagon Wheels, Ruote (“Wheels”) – Wagon Wheels make interesting salads, casseroles and stir-fry dishes. Add to soups, or simply top with sauce and enjoy.