There’s more to life than spaghetti! We dive into the different pasta shapes and show you how to partner each with the perfect sauce.   

1. Penne 

These short, straight tubes work best with chunky or meat-based sauces as the sauce fills the tubes, making every single mouthful a flavour explosion. 

2. Fusilli 

Shaped like short spirals or screws, fusilli is ideal for baked pasta dishes with rich, creamy or heavy sauces that coats it well. The grooves in the pasta allow for sauces to cling to it perfectly. 

3. Spaghetti 

Long, thin ‘strings’ of pasta make them ideal for herbed butters or light sauces such as pestos or vinaigrettes. Heavier sauces tend not to stick to this type of pasta. 

4. Cannelloni 

Very large, tube-shaped pasta, that is perfect for filling with chunky meat or vegetable based sauces. Great when covered with a creamy sauce, sprinkled with cheese and baked until golden. 

5. Macaroni 

These narrow tubes have a similar function to penne. They work well in soups, baked pasta dishes and creamy thick sauces. Think of the classic Mac n Cheese. 

6. Tagliatelle  

As it holds it shape quite well, it’s deal for light and heavy cream based sauces. The long, flat ribbon shape has plenty of surface area for the sauce to cling to. 

Words by: Penny Setti
Recipes and styling: Sjaan Van Der Ploeg