If one considers that today there are about 250 different varieties of pasta, the choice is indeed a challenge. At Pasta Premium alone we produce 120 different products. Of course, personal preferences are important when choosing pasta shapes. On the other hand, the shape of certain types of pasta fits well with other ingredients for special dishes. Here you can obtain an overview of the various shapes.
The right pasta variety
Surface and shape
Both the surface and the shape are important when choosing pasta and can make a big difference in the mouthfeel. The ability of the pasta to take up the sauce, such as with penne or macaroni, is one important criterion. The openings in short or hollow pasta varieties are ideal for sauces containing larger chunks (such as meat and vegetable sauces). A coarse surface will allow the sauce to stick to the pasta better.
Long pasta is therefore best enhanced by fine sauces or sauces with finely chopped ingredients (e.g. tomatoes, pesto or carbonara sauce).
Smaller shapes such as spirals, penne or Krawättli (bow-ties) are ideal for pasta salads. They can easily be mixed with the other ingredients in the salad bowl.
For casseroles, besides lasagna noodles and cannelloni, shapes with hollow spaces allow mixing of the pasta with the remaining ingredients.