When Pasta Met Sauce
A guide to which sauces go best with which noodles
The dried pasta options at the store can be bewildering. Do you want corkscrews, stovepipes, or little ears tonight? Perhaps a big dish of priest stranglers—that’d be strozzapreti in Italian. There are reasons that pasta exists in so many forms: It’s partly regional (Italian cities big and small
- Get your pasta saucy: recipes and preparation ideas for every type of noodle
If you just like the pretty pictures: Download the visual guide to pasta (PDF)
always seem to have a specialty pasta), but it’s also practical: Certain pastas are best eaten with certain sauces. Others work well with a wide variety of sauces—the workhorse pastas, like farfalle.
The general rule is that delicate noodles are for delicate sauces while heartier noodles are for heartier sauces, but similar to wine pairing, it’s not always that simple. So here’s a guide to help you sort it all out. And if you can’t tell your radiatore from your penne, we’ve got pictures. Of course, if this is too much pasta structure for you, we won’t snitch if your gemelli ends up in a seafood sauce.
We’ve cross-referenced this chart by pasta or by sauce and included some suggestions for specific recipes you can try.
Acini di Pepe
SAUCES: Soup
Anelli/Anellini
SAUCES: Pasta Salad, Soup
Bavette
SAUCES: Pesto, Seafood, Tomato
Bucatini
SAUCES: Baked, Tomato
Calamari
SAUCES: Seafood, Tomato
Campanelle
SAUCES: Butter/Oil, Cream/Cheese, Meat, Pasta Salad, Vegetable
Capellini (a.k.a. Angel Hair)
SAUCES: Butter/Oil, Cream/Cheese, Pesto, Seafood, Soup, Tomato, Vegetable
Casarecce
SAUCES: Cream/Cheese, Meat, Pesto, Seafood, Tomato, Vegetable
Cavatelli
SAUCES: Cream/Cheese, Meat, Pasta Salad, Soup, Vegetable
Cavaturi
SAUCES: Pasta Salad, Vegetable
Conchiglie
SAUCES: Cream/Cheese, Meat, Pasta Salad, Pesto, Tomato, Vegetable
Ditalini
SAUCES: Baked, Pasta Salad, Soup
Next page: From farfalle to paccheri 1 2 3 4 »
When Pasta Met Sauce (cont.)
Farfalle
SAUCES: Butter/Oil, Cream/Cheese, Meat, Pasta Salad, Pesto, Seafood, Soup, Tomato, Vegetable
Fettuccine
SAUCES: Butter/Oil, Cream/Cheese, Meat, Seafood, Tomato, Vegetable
Fregula
SAUCES: Soup, Tomato
Fusilli
SAUCES: Baked, Butter/Oil, Cream/Cheese, Meat, Pasta Salad, Pesto, Soup, Tomato, Vegetable
Fusilli col Buco
SAUCES: Baked, Butter/Oil, Cream/Cheese, Meat, Pasta Salad, Pesto, Soup, Tomato, Vegetable
Fusilli Napoletani
SAUCES: Baked, Butter/Oil, Cream/Cheese, Meat, Pasta Salad, Pesto, Soup, Tomato, Vegetable
Gemelli
SAUCES: Baked, Butter/Oil, Cream/Cheese, Meat, Pasta Salad, Pesto, Soup, Vegetable
Gigli
SAUCES: Baked, Butter/Oil, Meat, Tomato
Jumbo Shells
SAUCES: Baked, Cream/Cheese, Meat, Tomato, Vegetable
Lasagne
SAUCES: Baked, Cream/Cheese, Meat, Tomato, Vegetable
Linguine
SAUCES: Butter/Oil, Cream/Cheese, Meat, Pesto, Seafood, Tomato, Vegetable
Lumaconi
SAUCES: Baked, Meat, Tomato, Vegetable
Macaroni
SAUCES: Baked, Butter/Oil, Cream/Cheese, Meat, Pasta Salad, Tomato, Vegetable
Malloreddus
SAUCES: Butter/Oil, Meat, Tomato
Manicotti
SAUCES: Baked, Meat, Tomato, Vegetable
Orecchiette
SAUCES: Meat, Pasta Salad, Pesto, Tomato, Vegetable
Orzo
SAUCES: Baked, Pasta Salad, Soup
Paccheri
SAUCES: Tomato, Vegetable
When Pasta Met Sauce (cont.)
Pappardelle
SAUCES: Meat
Pastina
SAUCES: Soup
Penne Lisce (a.k.a. Mostaccioli)
SAUCES: Baked, Cream/Cheese, Meat, Tomato, Vegetable
Penne Rigate
SAUCES: Baked, Butter/Oil, Cream/Cheese, Pasta Salad, Tomato, Vegetable
Radiatore
SAUCES: Baked, Tomato
Riccioli
SAUCES: Baked, Pasta Salad, Tomato
Rigatoni
SAUCES: Baked, Cream/Cheese, Meat, Tomato, Vegetable
Rotelle
SAUCES: Baked, Cream/Cheese, Meat, Pasta Salad, Soup, Tomato, Vegetable
Rotini
SAUCES: Baked, Cream/Cheese, Meat, Pasta Salad, Tomato, Vegetable
Sfoglia
SAUCES: Baked, Meat, Tomato, Vegetable
Spaghetti
SAUCES: Baked, Butter/Oil, Cream/Cheese, Meat, Seafood, Tomato, Vegetable
Spaghetti alla Chitarra
SAUCES: Baked, Butter/Oil, Cream/Cheese, Meat, Seafood, Tomato, Vegetable
Spaghettini
SAUCES: Baked, Butter/Oil, Cream/Cheese, Meat, Seafood, Tomato, Vegetable
Stelline
SAUCES: Soup
Strozzapreti
SAUCES: Meat, Vegetable
Tagliarini
SAUCES: Butter/Oil, Cream/Cheese
Trenette
SAUCES: Baked, Tomato, Vegetable
Trofie
SAUCES: Pesto
Tubettini
SAUCES: Baked, Soup
Ziti
SAUCES: Baked, Butter/Oil, Cream/Cheese, Meat, Pasta Salad, Tomato, Vegetable
When Pasta Met Sauce (cont.)
Pasta comes in many shapes, and it’s not because Italians like to invent silly names like strozzapreti. It’s because certain shapes complement certain preparations. (At least that’s what they tell us. Perhaps it’s the language barrier.) Here are some simple guidelines for which sauce goes with which pasta.
Winter Greens Lasagne
BAKED
These shapes work best in baked casseroles such as Winter Greens Lasagne or Baked Radicchio and Mozzarella Pasta:
Bucatini, Ditalini, Fusilli, Fusilli col Buco, Fusilli Napoletani, Gemelli, Gigli, Jumbo Shells, Lasagne, Lumaconi, Macaroni, Manicotti, Orzo, Penne Lisce (a.k.a. Mostaccioli), Penne Rigate, Radiatore, Riccioli, Rigatoni, Rotelle, Rotini, Sfoglia, Spaghetti, Spaghetti alla Chitarra, Spaghettini, Trenette, Tubettini, Ziti
Autumn Squash Ravioli with
Sage Brown Butter Sauce
BUTTER/OIL
These pastas are best with delicate butter- and oil-based sauces, such as sage brown butter or aglio e olio:
Campanelle, Capellini (a.k.a. Angel Hair), Farfalle, Fettuccine, Fusilli, Fusilli col Buco, Fusilli Napoletani, Gemelli, Gigli, Linguine, Macaroni, Malloreddus, Penne Rigate, Spaghetti, Spaghetti alla Chitarra, Spaghettini, Tagliarini, Ziti
Chestnut Gnocchi with
Robiola Cheese Sauce
CREAM/CHEESE
Use more delicate sauces such as cacio e pepe or green garlic cream sauce with the thinner noodles in this list, and a robust sauce such as one made with Robiola Bosina cheese for the more substantial noodles:
Campanelle, Capellini (a.k.a. Angel Hair), Casarecce, Cavatelli, Conchiglie, Farfalle, Fettuccine, Fusilli, Fusilli col Buco, Fusilli Napoletani, Gemelli, Jumbo Shells, Lasagne, Linguine, Macaroni, Penne Lisce (a.k.a. Mostaccioli), Penne Rigate, Rigatoni, Rotelle, Rotini, Spaghetti, Spaghetti alla Chitarra, Spaghettini, Tagliarini, Ziti
Wild Boar Ragu
MEAT
Pair these pastas with chunky meat sauces such as Wild Boar Ragu or Ragu alla Bolognese:
Campanelle, Casarecce, Cavatelli, Conchiglie, Farfalle, Fettuccine, Fusilli, Fusilli col Buco, Fusilli Napoletani, Gemelli, Gigli, Jumbo Shells, Lasagne, Linguine, Lumaconi, Macaroni, Malloreddus, Manicotti, Orecchiette, Pappardelle, Penne Lisce (a.k.a. Mostaccioli), Rigatoni, Rotelle, Rotini, Sfoglia, Spaghetti, Spaghetti alla Chitarra, Spaghettini, Strozzapreti, Ziti
Pasta Salad with Spinach,
Olives, and Mozzarella
PASTA SALAD
Match the smaller pastas with recipes using finely chopped ingredients, such as this salad with zucchini and pine nuts in which you can substitute pasta for the couscous. The larger pastas will hold up well with recipes that call for coarsely chopped ingredients, such as Pasta Salad with Spinach, Olives, and Mozzarella:
Anelli/Anellini, Campanelle, Cavatelli, Cavaturi, Conchiglie, Ditalini, Farfalle, Fusilli, Fusilli col Buco, Fusilli Napoletani, Gemelli, Macaroni, Orecchiette, Orzo, Penne Rigate, Riccioli, Rotelle, Rotini, Ziti
Pasta with Arugula Pesto,
Sun-Dried Tomatoes, and Pine Nuts
PESTO
Try anything from a Watercress-Walnut Dip or arugula pesto, sun-dried tomatoes, and pine nuts to parsley, walnut, and black olive pesto with these shapes:
Bavette, Capellini (a.k.a. Angel Hair), Casarecce, Conchiglie, Farfalle, Fusilli, Fusilli col Buco, Fusilli Napoletani, Gemelli, Linguine, Orecchiette, Trofie
Linguine with Clams and Chorizo
SEAFOOD
These shapes are ideal for scooping up pieces of seafood; try them with this San Marzano red clam sauce or clams and chorizo:
Bavette, Calamari, Capellini (a.k.a. Angel Hair), Casarecce, Farfalle, Fettuccine, Linguine, Spaghetti, Spaghetti alla Chitarra, Spaghettini
Pasta e Fagioli
SOUP
Brothy soups are made even better when a handful of pasta is thrown in. Try these in Minestrone, Pasta e Fagioli, or as a substitute for the rice in this chicken soup:
Acini di Pepe, Anelli/Anellini, Capellini (a.k.a. Angel Hair), Cavatelli, Ditalini, Farfalle, Fregula, Fusilli, Fusilli col Buco, Fusilli Napoletani, Gemelli, Orzo, Pastina, Rotelle, Stelline, Tubettini
Pasta with Caramelized
Tomatoes and Sausage
TOMATO
The more delicate noodles pair well with simple sauces, such as a Basic Tomato Sauce or raw tomato sauce (marinate tomatoes and garlic in oil for a few minutes, then toss with cooked pasta and torn basil), while the more substantial noodles hold up nicely when prepared all’Amatriciana or paired with caramelized tomatoes and sausage:
Bavette, Bucatini, Calamari, Capellini (a.k.a. Angel Hair), Casarecce, Conchiglie, Farfalle, Fettuccine, Fregula, Fusilli, Fusilli col Buco, Fusilli Napoletani, Gigli, Jumbo Shells, Lasagne, Linguine, Lumaconi, Macaroni, Malloreddus, Manicotti, Orecchiette, Paccheri, Penne Lisce (a.k.a. Mostaccioli), Penne Rigate, Radiatore, Riccioli, Rigatoni, Rotelle, Rotini, Sfoglia, Spaghetti, Spaghetti alla Chitarra, Spaghettini, Trenette, Ziti
Beet Greens and Feta Pasta
VEGETABLE
Try these pastas with an assortment of vegetable sauces, from Eggplant-Pepper Tomato Sauce to beet greens and feta or broccoli, prosciutto, and toasted breadcrumbs:
Campanelle, Capellini (a.k.a. Angel Hair), Casarecce, Cavatelli, Cavaturi, Conchiglie, Farfalle, Fettuccine, Fusilli, Fusilli col Buco, Fusilli Napoletani, Gemelli, Jumbo Shells, Lasagne, Linguine, Lumaconi, Macaroni, Manicotti, Orecchiette, Paccheri, Penne Lisce (a.k.a. Mostaccioli), Penne Rigate, Rigatoni, Rotelle, Rotini, Sfoglia, Spaghetti, Spaghetti alla Chitarra, Spaghettini, Strozzapreti, Trenette, Ziti
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