<ul>
<li>Long and Skinny (spaghetti, vermicelli) - best with light seafood sauces, cream or oil based sauces</li>
<li>Long Ribbon Pasta (tagliatelle, fettuccine) - best with rich, meaty sauces</li>
<li>Shell Pasta (lumache, conchiglie) - best with heavy cream or any meaty sauces, the large shells can be stuffed as well</li>
<li>Twist Pasta (fusilli, trifle) - best with light and smooth sauces that cling on to the twist</li>
<li>Tube Pasta (penne, rigatoni) - best with hearty vegetable sauces / baked cheese dishes</li>
<li>Mini Shapes Pasta - best for soups, stews and pasta salads</li>
<li>Filled Pasta - best paired with light buttered sauces or oil sauces</li>
</ul>

Pasta: Their Shapes and Their Equivalent Sauces

<ul>
<li>Let the pasta cook in a large pan with salted boiling water for it to move around and have flavor.</li>
<li>Don't add olive oil anymore because that won't prevent it from sticking together.</li>
<li>There are many versions to the spaghetti bolognese but in Italy, the pasta and the sauve are always combined in the pan to make sure that every piece of pasta is coated well with the sauce.</li>
<li>Always keep a cup of pasta water on the side while draining the pasta so that you could add a little water if the pasta looks too dry and so that you could cook the pasta more in the pan instead of the pot.</li>
</ul>

When Cooking Pasta...

Choosing a pasta shape to suit the nature of your sauce makes a big difference to the finished dish. Do it the Italian way with help from our guide to expert pairings and how to cook your pasta to perfection.
While spaghetti Bolognese is one of the world’s most well-known pasta dishes, it is fundamentally inauthentic.&nbsp;Italian cooks&nbsp;would seldom serve a thick, saucy <a href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/search/recipes?query=ragu" dir="ltr">ragu</a> with thin pasta ribbons – they’re far more likely to&nbsp;team such a sauce with large shells or tubes to capture the sauce, or thicker long pasta, like tagliatelle and pappardelle.Generally, the larger shapes work better with thick, robust sauces, while skinny shapes, like strands of delicate vermicelli, suit light, cream sauces. Follow our suggestions of what shape to combine with what accompaniment – and share your own ideas with us below.Long &amp; skinny pasta shapesServe long, skinny pasta shapes such as spaghetti, linguine, fusilli lunghi, vermicelli&nbsp;with light <a href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/special-seafood-saffron-pasta" dir="ltr">seafood sauces</a>, cream- or oil-based sauces.Long ribbon pasta shapesServe long ribbon pasta shapes such as tagliatelle, pappardelle, fettuccine, mafaldine with rich, meaty sauces.Shell pasta shapesServe shell pasta shapes such as conchiglie and&nbsp;lumache with heavy cream or meat sauces; large ones can be <a href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/baked-conchiglioni-sausage-sage-butternut-squash" dir="ltr">stuffed</a>.Twist pasta shapesServe twist pasta shapes such as fusilli, trofie, strozzapreti, caserecce and&nbsp;gemelli with lighter, smoother sauces which will cling to the twists, such as <a href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/technique/how-make-pesto" dir="ltr">pesto</a>.Tube pasta shapesServe tube pasta shapes such as penne, rigatoni, macaroni and&nbsp;paccheri with hearty vegetable sauces, or baked cheese dishes. Also good with <a href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/search/recipes?query=bolognese" dir="ltr">Bolognese</a> or ragu.Mini shapesServe mini pasta shapes such as orzo, fregola, canestrini and&nbsp;stelline in soups and stews or as pasta salads.Filled pastaServe filled pasta shapes such as ravioli, tortellini and&nbsp;cappelletti as the filling contains lots of flavour, these are traditionally served with a light butter or oil sauce.<h3>Top cooking tips</h3><picture><source media="(max-width: 320px)" data-srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/30/2020/08/1._man_cooking_pasta_in_kitchen-45a7293.jpg?webp=true&amp;quality=90&amp;resize=300%2C150, https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/30/2020/08/1._man_cooking_pasta_in_kitchen-45a7293.jpg?webp=true&amp;quality=45&amp;resize=600%2C300 2x" type="image/webp" srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/30/2020/08/1._man_cooking_pasta_in_kitchen-45a7293.jpg?webp=true&amp;quality=90&amp;resize=300%2C150, https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/30/2020/08/1._man_cooking_pasta_in_kitchen-45a7293.jpg?webp=true&amp;quality=45&amp;resize=600%2C300 2x"><source media="(max-width: 320px)" data-srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/30/2020/08/1._man_cooking_pasta_in_kitchen-45a7293.jpg?quality=90&amp;resize=300%2C150, https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/30/2020/08/1._man_cooking_pasta_in_kitchen-45a7293.jpg?quality=45&amp;resize=600%2C300 2x" type="image/jpeg" srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/30/2020/08/1._man_cooking_pasta_in_kitchen-45a7293.jpg?quality=90&amp;resize=300%2C150, https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/30/2020/08/1._man_cooking_pasta_in_kitchen-45a7293.jpg?quality=45&amp;resize=600%2C300 2x"><source media="(max-width: 375px)" data-srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/30/2020/08/1._man_cooking_pasta_in_kitchen-45a7293.jpg?webp=true&amp;quality=90&amp;resize=355%2C178" type="image/webp" srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/30/2020/08/1._man_cooking_pasta_in_kitchen-45a7293.jpg?webp=true&amp;quality=90&amp;resize=355%2C178"><source media="(max-width: 375px)" data-srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/30/2020/08/1._man_cooking_pasta_in_kitchen-45a7293.jpg?quality=90&amp;resize=355%2C178" type="image/jpeg" srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/30/2020/08/1._man_cooking_pasta_in_kitchen-45a7293.jpg?quality=90&amp;resize=355%2C178"><source media="(max-width: 425px)" data-srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/30/2020/08/1._man_cooking_pasta_in_kitchen-45a7293.jpg?webp=true&amp;quality=90&amp;resize=405%2C203" type="image/webp" srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/30/2020/08/1._man_cooking_pasta_in_kitchen-45a7293.jpg?webp=true&amp;quality=90&amp;resize=405%2C203"><source media="(max-width: 425px)" data-srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/30/2020/08/1._man_cooking_pasta_in_kitchen-45a7293.jpg?quality=90&amp;resize=405%2C203" type="image/jpeg" srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/30/2020/08/1._man_cooking_pasta_in_kitchen-45a7293.jpg?quality=90&amp;resize=405%2C203"><source media="(max-width: 589px)" data-srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/30/2020/08/1._man_cooking_pasta_in_kitchen-45a7293.jpg?webp=true&amp;quality=90&amp;resize=554%2C277" type="image/webp" srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/30/2020/08/1._man_cooking_pasta_in_kitchen-45a7293.jpg?webp=true&amp;quality=90&amp;resize=554%2C277"><source media="(max-width: 589px)" data-srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/30/2020/08/1._man_cooking_pasta_in_kitchen-45a7293.jpg?quality=90&amp;resize=554%2C277" type="image/jpeg" srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/30/2020/08/1._man_cooking_pasta_in_kitchen-45a7293.jpg?quality=90&amp;resize=554%2C277"><source media="(min-width: 992px)" data-srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/30/2020/08/1._man_cooking_pasta_in_kitchen-45a7293.jpg?webp=true&amp;quality=90&amp;resize=620%2C310" type="image/webp" srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/30/2020/08/1._man_cooking_pasta_in_kitchen-45a7293.jpg?webp=true&amp;quality=90&amp;resize=620%2C310"><source media="(min-width: 992px)" data-srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/30/2020/08/1._man_cooking_pasta_in_kitchen-45a7293.jpg?quality=90&amp;resize=620%2C310" type="image/jpeg" srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/30/2020/08/1._man_cooking_pasta_in_kitchen-45a7293.jpg?quality=90&amp;resize=620%2C310"><source media="(min-width: 768px)" data-srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/30/2020/08/1._man_cooking_pasta_in_kitchen-45a7293.jpg?webp=true&amp;quality=90&amp;resize=408%2C204" type="image/webp" srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/30/2020/08/1._man_cooking_pasta_in_kitchen-45a7293.jpg?webp=true&amp;quality=90&amp;resize=408%2C204"><source media="(min-width: 768px)" data-srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/30/2020/08/1._man_cooking_pasta_in_kitchen-45a7293.jpg?quality=90&amp;resize=408%2C204" type="image/jpeg" srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/30/2020/08/1._man_cooking_pasta_in_kitchen-45a7293.jpg?quality=90&amp;resize=408%2C204"><source media="(min-width: 590px)" data-srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/30/2020/08/1._man_cooking_pasta_in_kitchen-45a7293.jpg?webp=true&amp;quality=90&amp;resize=556%2C278" type="image/webp" srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/30/2020/08/1._man_cooking_pasta_in_kitchen-45a7293.jpg?webp=true&amp;quality=90&amp;resize=556%2C278"><source media="(min-width: 590px)" data-srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/30/2020/08/1._man_cooking_pasta_in_kitchen-45a7293.jpg?quality=90&amp;resize=556%2C278" type="image/jpeg" srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/30/2020/08/1._man_cooking_pasta_in_kitchen-45a7293.jpg?quality=90&amp;resize=556%2C278"><img width="700" height="350" alt="Man cooking pasta in kitchen" title="Man cooking pasta in kitchen" src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/30/2020/08/1._man_cooking_pasta_in_kitchen-45a7293.jpg?quality=90&amp;resize=620%2C310"></picture><section itemprop="articleBody" dir="ltr"> 
•&nbsp;Always cook pasta in a very large pan of&nbsp;salted, boiling water. If you don’t give&nbsp;the pasta enough space to move in the&nbsp;pan, it will stick together. Italians say&nbsp;the water should be as salty as the sea&nbsp;to flavour the pasta.
</section>• There is no need to add olive oil to your&nbsp;pasta when cooking. It won’t prevent it from sticking&nbsp;together, and will just end up down&nbsp;the drain.• The classic British version of <a href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/search/recipes?query=bolognese" dir="ltr">spag bol</a>&nbsp;usually consists of cooked spaghetti&nbsp;topped with saucy mince, but in Italy,&nbsp;the pasta and sauce are always&nbsp;combined in the pan to ensure&nbsp;every piece of pasta is coated.• Don’t cook the pasta all the way through in&nbsp;the water. Instead, drain it when it still has&nbsp;a little bite, then add to the sauce and&nbsp;continue cooking for a few minutes more&nbsp;until the pasta is cooked and has absorbed&nbsp;a little of the sauce.• When draining the pasta, make sure&nbsp;you save a cup of the pasta water. Then,&nbsp;when you add the pasta to the sauce,&nbsp;splash in a little of the water if it looks&nbsp;too dry. The starch in the water will&nbsp;help the sauce cling to the pasta.<picture><source media="(max-width: 320px)" data-srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/30/2020/08/2._draining_pasta_in_kitchen-5990313.jpg?webp=true&amp;quality=90&amp;resize=300%2C150, https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/30/2020/08/2._draining_pasta_in_kitchen-5990313.jpg?webp=true&amp;quality=45&amp;resize=600%2C300 2x" type="image/webp" srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/30/2020/08/2._draining_pasta_in_kitchen-5990313.jpg?webp=true&amp;quality=90&amp;resize=300%2C150, https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/30/2020/08/2._draining_pasta_in_kitchen-5990313.jpg?webp=true&amp;quality=45&amp;resize=600%2C300 2x"><source media="(max-width: 320px)" data-srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/30/2020/08/2._draining_pasta_in_kitchen-5990313.jpg?quality=90&amp;resize=300%2C150, https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/30/2020/08/2._draining_pasta_in_kitchen-5990313.jpg?quality=45&amp;resize=600%2C300 2x" type="image/jpeg" srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/30/2020/08/2._draining_pasta_in_kitchen-5990313.jpg?quality=90&amp;resize=300%2C150, https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/30/2020/08/2._draining_pasta_in_kitchen-5990313.jpg?quality=45&amp;resize=600%2C300 2x"><source media="(max-width: 375px)" data-srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/30/2020/08/2._draining_pasta_in_kitchen-5990313.jpg?webp=true&amp;quality=90&amp;resize=355%2C178" type="image/webp" srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/30/2020/08/2._draining_pasta_in_kitchen-5990313.jpg?webp=true&amp;quality=90&amp;resize=355%2C178"><source media="(max-width: 375px)" data-srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/30/2020/08/2._draining_pasta_in_kitchen-5990313.jpg?quality=90&amp;resize=355%2C178" type="image/jpeg" srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/30/2020/08/2._draining_pasta_in_kitchen-5990313.jpg?quality=90&amp;resize=355%2C178"><source media="(max-width: 425px)" data-srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/30/2020/08/2._draining_pasta_in_kitchen-5990313.jpg?webp=true&amp;quality=90&amp;resize=405%2C203" type="image/webp" srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/30/2020/08/2._draining_pasta_in_kitchen-5990313.jpg?webp=true&amp;quality=90&amp;resize=405%2C203"><source media="(max-width: 425px)" data-srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/30/2020/08/2._draining_pasta_in_kitchen-5990313.jpg?quality=90&amp;resize=405%2C203" type="image/jpeg" srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/30/2020/08/2._draining_pasta_in_kitchen-5990313.jpg?quality=90&amp;resize=405%2C203"><source media="(max-width: 589px)" data-srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/30/2020/08/2._draining_pasta_in_kitchen-5990313.jpg?webp=true&amp;quality=90&amp;resize=554%2C277" type="image/webp" srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/30/2020/08/2._draining_pasta_in_kitchen-5990313.jpg?webp=true&amp;quality=90&amp;resize=554%2C277"><source media="(max-width: 589px)" data-srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/30/2020/08/2._draining_pasta_in_kitchen-5990313.jpg?quality=90&amp;resize=554%2C277" type="image/jpeg" srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/30/2020/08/2._draining_pasta_in_kitchen-5990313.jpg?quality=90&amp;resize=554%2C277"><source media="(min-width: 992px)" data-srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/30/2020/08/2._draining_pasta_in_kitchen-5990313.jpg?webp=true&amp;quality=90&amp;resize=620%2C310" type="image/webp" srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/30/2020/08/2._draining_pasta_in_kitchen-5990313.jpg?webp=true&amp;quality=90&amp;resize=620%2C310"><source media="(min-width: 992px)" data-srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/30/2020/08/2._draining_pasta_in_kitchen-5990313.jpg?quality=90&amp;resize=620%2C310" type="image/jpeg" srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/30/2020/08/2._draining_pasta_in_kitchen-5990313.jpg?quality=90&amp;resize=620%2C310"><source media="(min-width: 768px)" data-srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/30/2020/08/2._draining_pasta_in_kitchen-5990313.jpg?webp=true&amp;quality=90&amp;resize=408%2C204" type="image/webp" srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/30/2020/08/2._draining_pasta_in_kitchen-5990313.jpg?webp=true&amp;quality=90&amp;resize=408%2C204"><source media="(min-width: 768px)" data-srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/30/2020/08/2._draining_pasta_in_kitchen-5990313.jpg?quality=90&amp;resize=408%2C204" type="image/jpeg" srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/30/2020/08/2._draining_pasta_in_kitchen-5990313.jpg?quality=90&amp;resize=408%2C204"><source media="(min-width: 590px)" data-srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/30/2020/08/2._draining_pasta_in_kitchen-5990313.jpg?webp=true&amp;quality=90&amp;resize=556%2C278" type="image/webp" srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/30/2020/08/2._draining_pasta_in_kitchen-5990313.jpg?webp=true&amp;quality=90&amp;resize=556%2C278"><source media="(min-width: 590px)" data-srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/30/2020/08/2._draining_pasta_in_kitchen-5990313.jpg?quality=90&amp;resize=556%2C278" type="image/jpeg" srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/30/2020/08/2._draining_pasta_in_kitchen-5990313.jpg?quality=90&amp;resize=556%2C278"><img width="700" height="350" alt="Draining pasta in kitchen" title="Draining pasta in kitchen" src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/30/2020/08/2._draining_pasta_in_kitchen-5990313.jpg?quality=90&amp;resize=620%2C310"></picture><section itemprop="articleBody" dir="ltr"> What are your top pasta tips? Share your thoughts with us below… We also have plenty of <a href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/search/recipes?query=pasta" dir="ltr">pasta recipes</a> to get you inspired, plus a <a href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/guide-pasta-shapes-italy" dir="ltr">guide to the pasta shapes of Italy</a>.
								</section>

Choosing a pasta shape to suit the nature of your sauce makes a big difference to the finished dish. Do it the Italian way with help from our guide to expert pairings and how to cook your pasta to perfection.

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Choosing a pasta shape to suit the nature of your sauce makes a big difference to the finished dish. Do it the Italian way with help from our guide to expert pairings and how to cook your pasta to perfection.

While spaghetti Bolognese is one of the world’s most well-known pasta dishes, it is fundamentally inauthentic. Italian cooks would seldom serve a thick, saucy <a dir="ltr" href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/search/recipes?query=ragu">ragu </a>with thin pasta ribbons – they’re far more likely to team such a sauce with large shells or tubes to capture the sauce, or thicker long pasta, like tagliatelle and pappardelle.

Generally, the larger shapes work better with thick, robust sauces, while skinny shapes, like strands of delicate vermicelli, suit light, cream sauces. Follow our suggestions of what shape to combine with what accompaniment – and share your own ideas with us below.

Long &amp; skinny pasta shapes

Serve long, skinny pasta shapes such as spaghetti, linguine, fusilli lunghi, vermicelli with light <a dir="ltr" href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/special-seafood-saffron-pasta">seafood sauces </a>, cream- or oil-based sauces.

Long ribbon pasta shapes

Serve long ribbon pasta shapes such as tagliatelle, pappardelle, fettuccine, mafaldine with rich, meaty sauces.

Shell pasta shapes

Serve shell pasta shapes such as conchiglie and lumache with heavy cream or meat sauces; large ones can be <a dir="ltr" href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/baked-conchiglioni-sausage-sage-butternut-squash">stuffed </a>.

Twist pasta shapes

Serve twist pasta shapes such as fusilli, trofie, strozzapreti, caserecce and gemelli with lighter, smoother sauces which will cling to the twists, such as <a dir="ltr" href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/technique/how-make-pesto">pesto </a>.

Tube pasta shapes

Serve tube pasta shapes such as penne, rigatoni, macaroni and paccheri with hearty vegetable sauces, or baked cheese dishes. Also good with <a dir="ltr" href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/search/recipes?query=bolognese">Bolognese </a>or ragu.

Serve mini pasta shapes such as orzo, fregola, canestrini and stelline in soups and stews or as pasta salads.

Serve filled pasta shapes such as ravioli, tortellini and cappelletti as the filling contains lots of flavour, these are traditionally served with a light butter or oil sauce.

• There is no need to add olive oil to your pasta when cooking. It won’t prevent it from sticking together, and will just end up down the drain.

• The classic British version of <a dir="ltr" href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/search/recipes?query=bolognese">spag bol </a> usually consists of cooked spaghetti topped with saucy mince, but in Italy, the pasta and sauce are always  combined in the pan to ensure every piece of pasta is coated.

• Don’t cook the pasta all the way through in the water. Instead, drain it when it still has a little bite, then add to the sauce and continue cooking for a few minutes more until the pasta is cooked and has absorbed a little of the sauce.

• When draining the pasta, make sure you save a cup of the pasta water . Then, when you add the pasta to the sauce, splash in a little of the water if it looks too dry. The starch in the water will help the sauce cling to the pasta.

Perfect pairings: How to match pasta shapes to sauces

Pasta: Their Shapes and Their Equivalent Sauces

When Cooking Pasta...

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