Pasta Shapes

I love my pastas. Every time I traveled I make it a point to try out the pasta dishes. I have seen many shapes and tasted many different pasta dishes.

While reading the other day, I realized there are almost 350 different types of pastas in the world. Wow, it's pretty a lot compared to something that is made out of just water, flour and eggs.

There's fusilli, papperdelle, penne, conchiglie, lasagne sheets, capellini, farfalle, fettuccine, tortellini just to name a few. The name itself can be a mouthful to say.

It got me wondering, how do I pair the correct pasta with the correct sauce?

I always make my own fresh pastas at home. Once I tasted freshly made pasta, I have never purchased dried pastas from the supermarket anymore. I love to experiment with them and so decide to compile information on the different types of pasta shapes and the best sauces that goes with them.

So all of you at home who love your pastas, I hope the following will be helpful as you venture into the past world.......By the way, if you want to learn how to make fresh pastas at home, check out my favorite pasta machine that never fails to help me produce great tasting pastas every time and make me look like  a great pasta chef. Click on Atlas Pasta Maker for my secret pasta dough recipe.....

Lasagne Sheets

Lasagne Sheets

Lasagne are square or rectangular sheets of pasta, which are cooked, interlayered with other ingredients and baked. Lasagne is a great dish for warming the body on a cool evening. Lasagne dishes are tantalizing and tempting, so feed your senses with each and every mouthful.

(Picture and information courtesy of tarladalal.com)





Pappardelle

 

Papardelle

Papardelle are broad bank ribbons and are commonly served with heavy and rich sauces. It was created in Tuscan. Papardelle sulla lepre is a traditional Tuscan favorite and are often served with stewed hare sauce. The broad shape ribbon of the Papardelle can absorb heavy sauces and yet hold their shape well so it will go well with pot roasts.

(Picture courtesy of pastafrescacarmelaocone.it)

Fusilli

Fusilli
Fusilli looks like a thick corkscrew. It matches well with most pasta sauces because the narrow crevices can capture and retain pasta sauces. It also retain it's shape well when soaked in sauces. I love the fusilli. I use it with almost all pasta recipe. I baked the fusilli in casseroles, add it to chicken broth and also add it to my salads.

(Picture courtesy of commons.wikimedia.org)

Capellini

The Capellini is also passionately known as "little hairs". It looks like your regular pasta but only very much thinner but slightly thicker than the angel hair pasta.Since it has a very delicate appearance, it is best served with delicate sauces such as consommes or broth. I like to serve it with basil pesto or just toss it with olive and fresh chopped tomatoes. Mmmmmmmm.....it's making my mouth water just writing about it.

(Picture courtesy of commons.wikimedia.org)

Conchiglie

Conchiglie
My son call the Conchiglie his sea shells because of it's shape. The Conchiglie usually comes in various sizes. The Cochiglioni are very large Conchiglie and are usually stuffed and baked while the tiny Conchigliette are cook in soups and pasta salads. The Conchiglie hollow centre retails sauces well. I love to use the Conchiglie to replace for macaroni for the conventional macaroni and cheese dish. Give it a try and you will love the interesting twist it gives
(Picture courtesy of.pastafrescacarmelaocone.it)

Tortellini

Tortellini
I have to say my Tortellini is one of my favorite pasta. With an amazing story behind the Tortellini where the shape was inspired by the goddess Venus navel. The Tortellini is traditionally stuffed with cheese, vegetables or meat and are served with light broth or cream sauce. I love to experiment whenever I made the Tortellini. I will usually stuff it with the conventional spinach and ricotta cheese but I also have tried stuffing it with seafood, roasted turkeys and broiled chicken. The taste is heavenly.......
(Picture courtesy of eatathomecooks.com)

Penne

 

 

Penne

One of the most popular shape pasta around because it is able to compliment most sauces, both light and heavy sauces. It also taste great with salads or as baked dishes. It is short and hollowed-out tube with smooth surface efficiently traps pieces of meat and sauces. I love to dish out my Penne with spicy flavourful tomato sauce.

(Picture courtesy of andreasrecipes.com)

Farfalle

Farfalle
The butterfly as it is famously known, the Farfalle is also shaped like a bow tie. Most commonly added to tomato-based sauces or cream sauces. It is also added to pasta salads. My kids love the Farfalle because of it's shape.

(Picture courtesy of gallery.hd.org)

There you have it, some of the different pasta shapes known. Whatever shapes they come in, they definitely make great tasting dishes when cooked and added with the right sauces. Who would expect just by mixing flour, water and egg you can produce many different shapes of pasta.

If you are into cooking, I highly recommend you create the above pastas fresh from home. Use my favorite pasta machine and use my secret pasta dough to dish out great tasting pasta recipes for friends and families. I guarantee you will be the envy of them. Click on Atlas Pasta Machine to find more about how to create great tasting home made fresh pasta.

Bon appetitooooo......Writing this has made me hungry. I'm off to make some pasta right now :)