Pasta is a noodle made from an unleavened dough of a durum wheat flour mixed with water or egg and formed into sheets or various shapes, then cooked and served in any number of dishes.
It can be made with flour from other cereals or grains, and eggs may be used instead of water.
Pastas may be divided into two broad categories, dried (pasta secca) and fresh (pasta fresca).
There are more than 400 unique types of pasta: Sheets, strips, long strands, cylinders, unique shapes, flavors and many other local varieties.
Angel hair
Very fine, delicate strands.
Cooking time: 3 to 5 minutes.
Best for: Tossing with sauce.
Ideal sauces: Light tomato, olive oil, cream, butter, seafood.
Elbow macaroni
Short, C-shaped tubes.
Cooking time: 6 to 8 minutes.
Best for: Baked dishes, salads, soups.
Ideal sauces: Cheese, butter.
Farfalle (bow ties)
Pinched in the middle to look like bow ties (the Italian word farfalle means ‘butterflies’).
Cooking time: 10 to 12 minutes.
Best for: Tossing with sauce, salads.
Ideal sauces: Cheese, olive oil, butter.
Fettuccine
Spaghetti-length, flat egg noodles about 0.6cm wide (the name translates as ‘little ribbons’).
Cooking time: 10 to 12 minutes.
Best for: Tossing with sauce.
Ideal sauces: Meat, cream, cheese.
Fusilli, rotini
Spirals about 3.8cm long (fusilli means ‘little spindles’. Rotini means ‘twists’ or ‘spirals’).
Cooking time: 8 to 10 minutes.
Best for: Baked dishes, salads.
Ideal sauces: Tomato, pesto, seafood.
Jumbo shells
Large shell shapes, with a ridged exterior and a big, open cavity.
Cooking time: 11 to 13 minutes.
Best for: Stuffing, baked dishes.
Ideal sauces: Tomato, cream.
Linguine
Spaghetti-length, flat noodles about 0.3cm wide (the word means ‘little tongues’).
Cooking time: 10 to 12 minutes.
Best for: Tossing with sauce.
Ideal sauces: Tomato, pesto, olive oil, seafood.
Orecchiette
Small concave disk shapes (the name means ‘little ears’).
Cooking time: 10 to 12 minutes.
Best for: Tossing with sauce.
Ideal sauces: Meat, cream, seafood.
Orzo
Pasta in the shape of rice (or barley, from which it gets its name).
Cooking time: 9 to 11 minutes.
Best for: Salads, soups.
Ideal sauces: Light tomato, olive oil, vinaigrette.
Pappardelle
Flat, long noodles about 1.5cm long (the name supposedly means ‘gulp down’).
Cooking time: 7 to 10 minutes.
Best for: Tossing with sauce.
Ideal sauces: Tomato, meat, vegetable.
Penne
Small tubes 5cm to 10cm long cut on the diagonal, with or without ridges (the name means ‘quills’ or ‘feathers’).
Cooking time: 10 to 12 minutes.
Best for: Tossing with sauce.
Ideal sauces: Chunky tomato, meat, vegetable, cream.
Rigatoni
Tubes about 3.8cm long and 1.9cm in diameter, with ridges (the name means ‘large grooves’ or ‘large stripes’).
Cooking time: 11 to 13 minutes.
Best for: Tossing with sauce, baked dishes.
Ideal sauces: Chunky meat or vegetable, cream, cheese.
Shells
Small shell shapes with an open cavity.
Cooking time: 10 to 12 minutes.
Best for: Baked dishes, salads.
Ideal sauces: Tomato, meat, vegetable, cream, cheese, vinaigrette.
Spaghetti
Thin, round strands about 25cm long.
Cooking time: 9 to 11 minutes.
Best for: Tossing with sauce.
Ideal sauces: Tomato, pesto, meat, seafood.
Ziti
Medium-width tubes 5cm or more long (the name derives words for ‘bride’ or ‘bridegroom’).
Cooking time: 10 to 12 minutes.
Best for: Baked dishes.
Ideal sauces: Light tomato, olive oil, cream, cheese.
Source: https://www.realsimple.com
