Did you know there is an art to selecting which pasta to use with various sauces? Many Italian restaurant owners have this knowledge and produce better pairings than we would at home.
First of all, recognize the lighter the sauce, the thinner the pasta should be. One example of this is utilizing spaghetti with garlic and olive oil or puttanesca and the thicker sauces like Alfredo or pesto with the medium weight, flatter fettucine or linguine.
Tubular pastas like ziti, penne, and rigatoni cling to the sauce and also allow for the sauce, meat, and vegetables to travel inside creating a tastier bite. Filled pastas like the tortelloni or ravioli are served with lighter sauces or broths so the luscious fillings can be the star of the show.
Overall, consider these pointers to make great pasta at home: Don’t overcook it. Follow the directions for al dente, and remove from the heat immediately. Never rinse the pasta, getting rid of wonderful tastes and nutrients. Gently mix the pasta with the sauce and let it sit so the flavors can marry before you indulge. Lastly, limit the amount of sauce so you can savor the pasta’s flavor and textures also.
For more tips, see this site.