Shape definitely matters! Here's how to pair your pasta with sauce to get the best flavours and texture
If you’re anything like myself, then you probably don’t ponder too much about why it is that pasta comes in so many shapes and sizes. When cooking pasta, you probably just reach into the pantry or across the grocery aisle and pick out whatever catches your fancy; spaghetti, macaroni, fettuccine, it’s all the same.
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But as it turns out, pasta is so much more than a vessel for a delicious sauce. Its shape and size are all well-thought-out in order to complement the gustatory experience. Read on to find out how to match pasta to the sauce—and why putting this extra thought into your recipe could level up your meal completely.
Long, thin pasta
Long, thin kinds of pasta such as spaghetti and capellini are often quite delicate. As such, its accompanying sauces must be the same. Opt for lightness so the pasta doesn’t get weighed down or too soggy. A nice, simple olive oil base or a cacio e pepe would be perfect—add sprinkles of fresh herbs, or baby tomatoes to complement the pasta instead of overwhelming it. A tomato-based sauce would also pair well with these. Think: fresh, light, and easy (much like the pasta itself!).
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