pasta

There are different pasta types to go with specific sauces. Being a pasta lover, I made sure to do some research so I will know what name to call them if I chance upon them while eating out (or cooking). You will never know when it will be useful!

The following are just a few of the many pastas (and their uses) available in your local supermarket:

Anelli / aniline: small rings used for soup

Bucatini: Long medium tubes used for basic pasta dishes

Cannelloni: Large, thick round pasta tubes

Capelli d¡¦angelo: Thin strands of ¡¥angel hair¡¦ very similar to spaghetti

Cochiglie: Ridged tiny shells the size of lentils.

Cresti di gallo: curved shape, brown in colour.

Ditali/ ditalini: Short tubes similar to macaroni

Eliche: Loose spirals.

Farfalle: Bows used as an interesting shape for pasta and sauce dishes.

Fettuccine: Medium ribbons

Fusilli: Long twists often used in desserts and sweet dishes.

Gemelli: Two pieces wrapped together to look like ¡¥twins¡¦

Lasagne: Sheets of flat rectangular pasta

Linguini: Long flat ribbons similar to fettuccini.

Lumache: Snail-shaped shells

Lumaconi: Big shells often used for fillings

Macaroni: Long or short cut tubes, a favourite with cheese sauce.

Orecchiette: Ear-shaped

Penne: Quill shaped small pasta

Rigatoni: Thick ridged tubes

Spaghetti: Fine or medium rods

Tagliarini: Thin ribbons

Tagliatelle: broad ribbons

Vermicelli: Fine pasta, usually folded into skeins and stuffed/filled.