Picking the perfect pasta

When it’s chilly outside and you’re craving comfort food, nothing beats a steaming bowl of pasta. But not all pastas are created equal. From farfalle to spaghetti, here’s how to pick the perfect pairing for your sauce.

FARFALLE

Farfalle means ‘butterflies’ in Italian, and these little crinkly-edged, rectangular pieces are pinched in the middle to look like their namesake. Originating in northern Italy, they are also known as ‘bow-tie’ pasta.

Make: The ‘wings’ of this pasta are designed to hold sauce, so pair farfalle with chunky, cream or tomato-based sauces like creamy mushroom and garlic or primavera. They also work perfectly as the main ingredient in a cold pasta salad.

FUSILLI

Curly like a corkscrew, fusilli hails from southern Italy, where it was traditionally made by twisting spaghetti around thin rods to dry – hence the name, which means ‘spindle’.

Make: Fusilli is perfect for pesto, and other light, creamy, smooth sauces that will cling to the twists. This versatile pasta is also a star in pasta bakes, salads, or one-pan dishes.

ORZO

Made from semolina, orzo, which means ‘barley’ in Italian, is a small grain-shaped pasta. It is popular across Europe, particularly in Greece, where it’s known as kritharaki.

Make: This is your go-to pasta to help bulk out a hearty soup or stew. Because it works like a grain, it’s also an excellent choice for pasta salads and a great rice substitute in dishes like stuffed peppers.

PAPPARDELLE

The widest and flattest of the noodles, pappardelle ribbons are made from egg-based pasta. The name comes from the Tuscan word pappare, which means to eat with child-like pleasure or to gobble up – so dig in!

Make: This pasta loves chunks of meat and oily sauces, so go heavy and gamey. Think chunky ragu with mushrooms, rabbit, or duck – perfetto!

RAVIOLI

These tender sheets of egg pasta, wrapped and pinched around a dollop of delicious stuffing are simply divine! Ravioli is typically square or circular and the stuffing can be made from a variety of ingredients, but ricotta is traditional.

Make: Because there’s already quite a bit going on with the filling, ravioli works best with a simple butter or oil sauce, such as sage and browned butter.

SPAGHETTI

This classic wheat pasta is an Italian staple, but some historians believe it was introduced to Sicily by the North African Berbers in the 12th century. Spaghetti comes from the Italian word spaghetto, meaning ‘thin string’.

Make: The joy of spaghetti is in the fork-twirl, so opt for a thin, silky sauce – without chunks. Simple sauces like carbonara, bolognese, or light seafood sauces based in cream or oil are spaghetti’s best pairings.