Pasta Glossary

Long – From  skinny capellini to wide lasagna, long noodles span the spectrum.

·         Thin varieties are best served with light-bodied tomato or broth-based sauces, which will just coat the noodles.

·         Wider noodles, like fettucine, are excellent w/ med.-bodied or heavy sauces like Alfredo because they’re able to hld up to the weightier sauce.

·         Lasagna, the widest noodles, aren’t for twirling; use them for layered, baked dishes.

Examples:  Capellini, Vermicelli, Spaghettini, Spaghetti, Linguine, Fettucine, Tagliatelle, Papardelle, Lasagna, Bucatini

Short – Whether tubular, like penne, or molded, like farefalle, short pastas are a great match for any sauce.

·         Some short pastas have ridges where the sauce can gather, so every bite is full of flavor.

·         Molded pastas come in all kinds of shapes, including bow ties, shells and elbows.

·         Cannelloni & manicotti, also molded, are designed to be filled w/ a meat or cheese-based misxture, covered in a sauce and baked.