Does it really matter what shape your pasta is?

Question

I mean were they made different shapes to go with different recipes or sauces? Just wondering.

Answer 1

Yeah they were. Pastas with large holes such as rigatoni were made to go in thick sauces so that the pasta would soak it up. Thinner sauces usually require a thinner pasta such as angel hair or vermicelli. Thick sauces without meat such as alfredo pair well with fettuccine because of its thick texture. If alfredo was paired with angel hair the the pasta would most likely tear because it couldn't hold up to the weight of the sauce. Penne, fusili, and other pastas with ridges and twists are shaped that way to trap sauce onto the pasta. Shells and oriechette are designed to trap sauce in the concave shapes.

Answer 2

Yes. The type of sauce should determine the shape of your pasta. For instance bowtie or shells work well with thinner sauces because there are nice little nooks and crannies for the sauce to get in. A penne works good for red sauce because the ripples let the sauce cling.

Answer 3

If you are just cooking for yourself: not really. If you are cooking for others or trying to impress the boss or a hot date: yes. Here is the long and short of it. Not all types of noodles go well with all types of sauces. Usually the thinner the noodle the lighter the sauce needs to be. Broader noodles can hold onto heavier sauces better and therefore make a more flavorful meal. Rigatoni and penne hold onto heavier meat based and tomato based sauces because of the ridge-like rough texture on the outside of the noodle. Broad noodles such as taglitelli work well for this as well. If you were making a very light cream sauce, perhaps with just some white wine and shellfish or something a thinner noodle such as spaghetti would be more appropriate.

Answer 4

Sometimes I think it does, maybe it's about how much sauce and water each pasta shape holds that makes each one unique. But it is all basically the same flavor.

Answer 5

Yes, it does matter.Certain sauces adher better to different shapes of pastas.Imagine making a Macaroni Salad using Lasagna sheets or trying to layer and bake a Lasagna using Rigatoni.Or better yet, ever tried stuffing fettucine with Manicotti in mind.It's fun to play with pasta,I love a baked Ravioli dish,that is made in a baking dish with marinara and mozzarella.Similar to a Lasagna.But, not....

Answer 6

Penne pasta and congliche (however thats spelt) takes up more sauce so personally I think they're better.

Answer 7

Different shapes go with different sauces. I don't remember the whole thing offhand....

Answer 8

of course it matters!!!