The world of pasta is large. While there are a lot of incredible pasta sauces, there are even more types of pasta to choose from. How do you know which pasta shape matches the sauce of your choice? Allow us to help. We want you to spend less time debating what to pair and more time having fun in the kitchen. In this article, we introduce some of the most popular pasta sauces and present a selection of recipes where different types of pasta match the sauce.
Best pasta shapes for tomato sauce
Tomato sauce is an incredibly versatile sauce and a sure-fire crowd-pleaser. It is a classic on the family dinner table, but you can also play around with the sauce and serve it on special occasions. With its smooth texture and robust flavours, it is an excellent pairing for several types of pasta. While you could probably fill out a week's worth of cooking by pairing tomato sauce with various pasta shapes, these three recipes are all simple, easy, and delicious.
Spaghetti in tomato sauce
Go with a classic and serve a big portion of spaghetti in tomato sauce for dinner. Tender spaghetti strings are smothered in traditional flavours built on sautéed vegetables. By frying carrot, onion, and garlic in the pan, the veggies caramelise and release their natural sugar. This simple process enhances the sweet and rich flavours of the sauce. The long spaghetti strands catch the sauce perfectly, making this a popular pasta and sauce pairing.
Fried ravioli in tomato sauce
Fried ravioli in tomato sauce is a fun and tasty pairing of sauce and pasta. By coating the ravioli in breadcrumbs and deep-frying them in oil, they turn crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Mix with rich tomato sauce and sprinkle with savoury Parmesan cheese. The result is a quick and easy meal where every bite leaves room for smooth sauce and crunchy ravioli pasta.
Pasta with aubergine and tomato sauce
Penne pasta is also a great pairing for tomato sauce. To find out, simply try our recipe for pasta with aubergine and tomato sauce. Smoky grilled aubergine and tangy tomato paste blend to create a smooth sauce. Pour the sauce on top of the penne and witness how it nestles inside the tube shape of the pasta. Whip up a portion for dinner and try it for yourself.
Best pasta shapes for pesto
Whether you make it at home or buy it from a store, you cannot go wrong with pesto. This incredibly popular basil-based sauce is a mainstay in Italian cuisine and is used in many tasty dishes, including pasta. Pesto pairs very well with long strands of pasta, but you can also use it for tube-shaped ones, such as penne, or pasta with ridges, like fusilli.
Spaghetti pesto
Enjoy our delicious spaghetti pesto made in a mere 15 minutes as a quick lunch or dinner. In our recipe, long, tender strands of spaghetti are coated in creamy pesto sauce, so every bite is full of a great mix of flavour and texture. Serve with crunchy roasted pine nuts and savoury Parmesan cheese for an extra flavour boost.
Green pasta salad
Go green with our gorgeously green pasta salad. Fusilli pasta, shaped with small ridges, is great for hiding little pockets of pesto. Add savoury roast beef, crisp lettuce, frozen peas, and tangy salad cheese, and you have a beautiful salad dish chock-full of lively flavours. Tender pasta and creamy pesto create a simple flavour base that is complemented by fresh veggies and rich roast beef.
Pesto pasta salad
Our recipe for pesto pasta salad promises a colourful and creamy meal with a heap of fresh ingredients. We use penne pasta because its tubular shape allows it to be filled with creamy pesto and other ingredients. This version has a pesto made from blended cottage cheese, basil, and Parmesan to ensure a creamy texture. Fresh melon, tomatoes, and salad are joined by savoury salami and mixed into the pesto pasta.
Béchamel sauces and pasta
Béchamel sauce is a creamy white sauce known for its rich and indulgent flavours. When paired with pasta shapes such as fettuccine, macaroni, and lasagne sheets, the humble, tender pasta becomes part of a cosy, comforting meal. While dishes such as lasagne and macarona béchamel need some time in the oven to develop their flavours, chicken pasta or béchamel pasta can be cooked up quickly on busy weeknights. Join us and explore a small selection of creamy béchamel dishes and their perfect pasta match.
Chicken pasta with béchamel sauce
Chicken pasta with béchamel sauce combines juicy grilled chicken with a creamy sauce and delicious fettuccine pasta. Fettuccine is an excellent choice for this creamy sauce because it easily coats the ribbons and their large surface. Garnished with fresh parsley, our chicken pasta boasts incredible textures and indulgent flavours.
Béchamel pasta
Creamy on the inside, crispy on the top. Our tasty béchamel pasta can easily be cooked for a quick but delicious weeknight dinner – or whenever you crave indulgent flavours. Chicken breast is fried in olive oil for savoury flavours, while mushroom, aubergine, courgette, and corn bring earthy sweetness to the mix. Mix with rich béchamel sauce and bake in the oven for a golden-brown crust. Elbow pasta is the pasta of choice, and its exciting shape is excellent for mixing with the sauce and chicken, ensuring that you get the perfect amount of indulgent creaminess in every bite.
Macarona béchamel
An Egyptian classic, macarona béchamel is one of the best comfort food meals. Its warm layers of macaroni pasta, spiced meat, and creamy béchamel sauce give it an indulgent and satisfying feel. This recipe can very well end up as part of your weekend dinner rotation. Add mozzarella cheese on top for an irresistible crust.
Beef and vegetable lasagne
Most people know the classic combination of béchamel sauce and lasagne sheets, but sometimes the classics are classics for a reason. Our recipe for beef and vegetable lasagne speaks to this idea, boasting layer upon layer of tender pasta sheets, rich beef mince, and earthy vegetables. This is a quintessential family night dinner with delicious flavours. Gather everyone around the table and enjoy.
Best pasta types for Alfredo sauce
Classic Alfredo sauce is creamy, delicious, and known worldwide. It pairs excellently with pasta shapes that can hold it well, so every bite is coated in the sauce. Wide fettuccine provides a perfect canvas for the creamy, cheesy sauce to shine. With its broad surface area, fettucine offers an ideal texture for the sauce to cling to, creating a perfect balance of flavour in every bite. However, you should feel more than free to experiment with other pasta shapes, for example, farfalle or penne, to discover new variations.
Fettuccine Alfredo
Classic fettuccine Alfredo embraces the simplicity of pasta dishes. A blend of butter, cream, and Parmesan cheese creates a smooth sauce with rich flavours. Adding a bit of lemon zest and juice gives the flavour profile a welcome citrusy touch that complements the rich flavours. As a bonus, the sauce also clings perfectly to tender fettuccine pasta, ensuring a harmonious and well-balanced eating experience.
Fettuccine Alfredo with broccoli and chicken
Enjoy a silky-smooth homemade Alfredo sauce perfect for smothering long fettuccine pasta. Our recipe for fettuccine Alfredo with broccoli and chicken takes the classic Italian-American version and adds a dose of juicy meat and crisp green vegetables. It is a quick and easy recipe great for a simple dinner – without ever sacrificing the creamy texture and the indulgent flavours.
Cajun chicken Alfredo
Because of its popularity, many interesting and delicious versions of fettuccine Alfredo exist. One such version is our spicy Cajun chicken Alfredo. It maintains the perfect pairing of fettuccine and Alfredo sauce while injecting the meal with warm and flavourful spices. Chicken breast is seasoned with classic Cajun spices and added to a portion of fettuccine in Alfredo sauce. It is a match made in heaven if you are looking for a fun version of a classic.
Best pasta shape for Bolognese
The most popular type of pasta used for Bolognese is spaghetti. While there are different versions of Bolognese, spaghetti Bolognese is a staple in most kitchens. The long pasta strips are perfect for catching the thick, meaty sauce. Swirl the pasta and sauce together using a fork and a spoon like the Italians do and enjoy mouthfuls of tender pasta and rich Bolognese sauce. Here are a few variations of spaghetti Bolognese for you to enjoy.
Spaghetti Bolognese
Cook up a classic spaghetti Bolognese and enjoy it with the whole family. Our recipe combines a rich meat sauce with tender pasta and a drizzle of Parmesan cheese. Not only is the flavour combination a certified classic, but the pairing of spaghetti and meat sauce is also a tradition. The dish is great for big dinners with friends and family as it builds its flavours simmering on the stove.
Creamy spaghetti Bolognese
Add a little cream to the sauce, and you have our deliciously creamy spaghetti Bolognese. Spaghetti remains the pasta of choice simply because it perfectly holds the Bolognese sauce. Succulent minced meat simmers with tomatoes and cooking cream to build its rich flavours. Toss with spaghetti and serve spaghetti Bolognese with a creamy touch to the entire family.
Easy spaghetti Bolognese
On busy weekdays, time rarely permits us to spend hours in the kitchen cooking elaborate dinners. That is why our easy spaghetti Bolognese exists: to cook a tasty meal in no time. We have kept spaghetti because of how well it works with the Bolognese, but feel free to try other types of pasta. Tube-shaped penne can catch the rich Bolognese sauce and make for flavourful bites.
Learn more about different types of pasta
In this article, we have popular pasta sauces as our starting point. However, you can also turn it around, choose a pasta type first, and then find out which sauces to pair it with. Read more about specific pasta types in our articles on spaghetti, elbow pasta, fettuccine, penne pasta, and lasagne sheets, respectively. We have also dived into stuffed pastas.
You can also dive into our exhaustive encyclopaedia on all the different pasta types you need to know. After reading this, you will always know which pasta shapes you have to choose from and where each of them shines brightest.