A pasta story: What sauce goes best with what shape of pasta?

MANILA, Philippines — Spaghetti may be the most popular, but pasta comes in many different shapes or forms. 

Spaghetti is the Pinoy favorite because it is always used in pasta dishes offered in fast-food restaurants. We call it Pinoy spaghetti because the tomato sauce is on the sweet side, and it has hotdog slices to go with the ground meat and grated Cheddar cheese. Some pizza chains also offer pasta dishes, and spaghetti is always the most ordered, with lasagna coming in second. In cafés and Italian restaurants, the other shapes of pasta are properly introduced.

Commercially available pasta brands, such as Al Dente, present a whole range of pasta variants for consumers to choose from. With spaghetti, lasagna, fettuccine, fusilli and penne rigate on its product line, Al Dente recently launched its linguine variant, thus bringing its total products to six.

But what is each pasta variant best for? What sauce goes best with what shape of pasta? Here’s a simple guide from Al Dente on how to perfectly match each pasta variant with the right sauce:

• Linguine is traditionally served with oil- or cream-based sauces and light meats such as seafood, as its flat shape makes light sauces adhere to it better.
• Spaghetti is a versatile round and long pasta that compliments silky sauces like Carbonara, Bolognese, and Alfredo - those that usually have tiny ingredients like meat or chopped herbs.
• Fettuccine's thick and long strands make it an ultimate choice for cream and ragùs (Bolognaise). If making soupier and thicker sauces like Carbonara or Alfredo, its texture can stand up some serious tossing and stirring.
• Penne rigate’s cylinder shape and tiny holes make it home to small ingredients like green peas, nuts, and capers. The voids are also for trapping meaty sauces.
• Fusilli's twisted and spiral shape is perfectly suited for rich meats, chunky sauces like ricotta or Arrabiata, or if you have larger ingredients tossed in, such as beans, roasted vegetables, or olives. It also works well with fresh pasta salad dishes!
• Lasagna is a type of broad pasta with sheets that are designed to be baked in the oven (al forno) between layers of thick sauce with warm and bubbly cheese on top.