10 Types Of Pasta You Should Know And Cook With

One of the most versatile and wonderful foods, pasta is popular all over the world. Made from everyday ingredients such as flour (wheat, semolina or white flour), water and eggs, this Italian staple is easy to cook. Simple, heart-warming and wholesome, pasta can be made in various ways to please all kinds of palates—from spaghetti with meatballs and fettuccine in Alfredo sauce to the more Indianized pasta in pink sauce.

However, with so many pasta shapes available, choosing the right pasta can be a bit confusing. Here’s a list of 10 most commonly used pastas in Indian kitchens:

1. Penne

One of the most commonly used pastas, these are tubular and cut a tan-angle. The ridges on penne help the sauce and meat or vegetable cling to the pasta, so that you get a burst of flavour with every spoon. They are great with arrabbiata sauces.

2. Farfalle 

This pretty butterfly or bow-tie shaped pasta is perfect for pasta salads (looks lovely too) or cream-based sauces.

3. Macaroni 

A children’s favourite, macaroni comes in different lengths, sizes and thickness, depending on the make. This versatile pasta can be used in a wide variety of dishes—from breakfast macaroni to the famous mac and cheese or a cold salad.

4. Spaghetti

This chewy bundle of deliciousness is what noodles are to Chinese cuisine. It can be served in a tomato base or lightly flavoured with olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper for the traditional spaghetti Aglio e Olio.

5. Fusilli

This corkscrew-shaped pasta works well to hold onto the sauces. The twisted shape traps coarse sauces, especially those with chunks of vegetables or meat.

6. Lasagne

This wide, flat pasta is another favourite with vegetarians as well as meat lovers. It is typically layered with sauce, cheese and vegetable/meat to form the popular casserole dish lasagna, which is absolutely delicious and decadent.

7. Fettuccini 

Long, flat and ribbon-like, this pasta is especially popular in Italian cuisines. It’s slightly thicker and is best paired with heavier sauces, such as spinach-cream or Alfredo.

8. Ravioli

This stuffed pasta can have a vegetable or meat filling. This pasta is typically square with curly edges. It goes well with a minimal buttery sauce or can be added to creamy bases as well.

9. Linguine

Much like spaghetti, linguine too is noodle-shaped pasta but it’s flattened out. This gives it that extra surface area to hang onto light sauces made with cream or seafood.

10. Rigatoni

This large, tubular ridged pasta goes well with sauces with minced vegetables and meats and grated cheese. Owing to its thickness, the tube can hold heavier sauces like Bolognese.