| Penne, ziti, macaroni | | What is it? | Penne Small, tube-shaped
Ziti Medium-sized and tubular
Macaroni Long or short curved tube shapes | | Sauces | Openings in this sturdy pasta trap sauce. Ideal for bakes, such as macaroni and cheese, as well as pasta salads. | | Jazz ups | Bakes
Cheese sauce, diced peppers and Cajun seasoning
Roasted vegetables, Asiago cheese and red pepper flakes
Salads
Creamy salad dressing, diced cucumber and tomato, and julienned carrots
Hot, spicy garlic olives, roasted red pepper strips and feta cheese
Chicken, chopped apples, garlic and curry powder | | Recipes | Cheesy baked pesto pasta
Freezer tomato mac 'n' cheese
Moroccan party pasta salad
Mediterranean tuna toss
Pasta bake with eggplant and fennel | |
| Spaghetti, spaghettini | | What is it? | Spaghetti Fine or medium-sized cords
Spaghettini Very thin spaghetti noodles | | Sauces | Thin strands are easily coated with tomato sauces and are good for herbed olive oil tosses and seafood sauces. | | Jazz ups | Tomato sauces
Meatballs and generous pinches of Italian seasoning or dried sage leaves and ground savory
Bacon or pancetta and dried rosemary leaves
Shrimp, garlic, ground cumin and ginger
Olive oil tosses
Chunks of canned tuna, capers and dried basil leaves
Crumbled goat cheese, sun-dried tomatoes and dried oregano and thyme leaves | | Recipes | Crazy tomato toss
Orange-teriyaki broccoli toss
Arrabiata tomato sauce
Harvest tuna pasta toss |
| Farfalle, orzo, orecchiette, stars | | What is it? | Farfalle Bow-tie-shaped
Orzo Small noodles that resemble grains
Orecchiette Small and ear-shaped
Stars Tiny and star-shaped | | Sauces | Tiny and flatter pasta varieties are perfect for tosses, hearty vegetable-based sauces and soups. | | Jazz ups | Tosses
Pimento-stuffed manzanilla olives, chopped tomatoes and diced mozzarella
Canned salmon or tuna, sliced green onions and lemon-and-pepper seasoning
Hearty vegetable-based sauces
Stir-fried broccoli, anchovies, dried basil leaves and red pepper flakes
Sautéed zucchini, onion, ground cumin, ginger and coriander | | Recipes | Feta, rapini and sweet red pepper pasta
BLT pasta toss
Bruschetta bows
Orzo pasta salad with orange gremolada
Pasta with tuna and capers |
| Fettuccine, linguine | | What is it? | Fettuccine Small or medium-sized flat-shaped ribbons
Linguine Long flat noodles, similar to fettuccine | | Sauces | Cream sauces, such as carbonara or alfredo, adhere best to long, flat pasta shapes. | | Jazz ups | Cream sauces
Canned tuna, diced tomato and green onions, dried basil and oregano leaves
Diced ham, peas and dried mint leaves
Butter and Parmesan-and-herb seasoning
Asparagus, orange peel and dried dillweed
Smoked-salmon slivers, dried tarragon leaves, lemon juice and peel
Sautéed chicken strips, broccoli florets, green onions and Italian seasoning | | Recipes | Lasagna-style fettucini
Fettucini alfredo
Spicy shrimp linguine
Sicilian pasta
Sausage-and-spinach toss |
| Shells, fusilli, rotini | | What is it? | Shells Medium-sized and shell-shaped
Fusilli Long, twisted spaghetti
Rotini Short twists or spirals | | Sauces | Delicious with hearty ragus that cling to twists and curls. | | Jazz ups | Ragus
Spicy Italian sausage, roasted garlic-and-sun-dried tomato sauce, sliced mushrooms and zucchini
Sautéed ground beef or chicken, stir-fried red peppers and zucchini
Sautéed mushrooms, dried thyme leaves and black pepper
Chopped prosciutto or ham, white wine, cream and dried bay leaf
Marinated artichokes, tomatoes, onions and dried rosemary leaves | | Recipes | Fresh tomato toss
Hot Italian turkey-sausage-and-pasta sauce
Provençal chicken, artichoke and olive pasta
Mushroom-and-turkey pasta
Coriander-pesto sauce | | |
