You won’t find fettuccine or macaroni on this list.
When it total to alimentary paste , I mostly love it all . Sheets oflasagnastacked high , the room pea can nestle perfectly inorecchiette , the massiveness of tagliatelle . I would be lying , however , if I said I did n’t have a ducky . I am a lover of cavatappi — perfect corkscrews that can stand up to a meaty sauce or bath luxuriously in buttery ointment .
My fellow worker have differing belief as to what constitute the best , however . We debated the merits of wavelike tangles of mafaldine versus the irresistible curvature of creste di gallo , which resembles a cock ’s comb . For longpasta , is spaghetti , bucatini , or linguine prefer ? ( There will be no mention of angel hair , because — to me — its lean strands are quite possibly the worst pasta frame . )
To settle any debate , I ’ve settle to ask pasta professional person — Italians andItalian Americansin the food industry — to share what their favoritepasta shapesare . They wax poetical about what sauces to copulate with their favourite and why the shapes are so special . And if you were n’t already buying lumache , this is a sign to come out . Here ’s what our experts had to say .
Glazed shortribs with lumache pasta.|Courtesy of North Italia
Rossella Rago
Allison Arevalo
Owner , Pasta Louise
Favorite alimentary paste shape : LumacheWhat sauce does it go best with : cream sauces , meat ragus … almost anything!Why it ’s the best:“Lumache search like a rainbow … or a bent rigatoni . It means ‘ escargot ’ in Italian , but for me , depict it as a rainbow is more sympathetic ! It ordinarily has ridges , and a big maw in the center . I jazz it because it contain so much sauce ! you’re able to make mackintosh and cheese with it , a pork ragu , even vodka sauce . It ’s so various , and a gracious variety from the staple like spaghetti and penne . Because it ’s a pretty big shape , every bite is so satisfying . ”
Alberto Marcolongo
Chef , Benoit Bistro
preferred alimentary paste shape : SpaghettoneWhat sauce does it go well with : Aglio , olio , peperoncinoWhy it ’s the best:“I really like spaghettoni anatomy because they are big with many different sauces . I fuck it with aglio , olio e peperoncino because it is super simple but tasteful . At Benoit , we ’re going to launch a alimentary paste service and definitely this kind of pasta will be there ; we ’re going to do a petty twist on it while keep the same taste sensation visibility . It ’s perfect for a late dinner and in Italy we use it to cease a great nighttime with friends . I always suggest having always some spaghettoni at abode for a agile dinner party . ”
Bari Musacchio
Partner , RubirosaFavorite pasta shape : LumacheWhat sauce does it go best with : BologneseWhy it ’s the best:“Lumache means escargot in Italian and is similar to rigatoni with an graceful curved shell that pinch on the terminal . The lumache ’s rigate style make stripy ridges where the sauce cling to . Lumache is best relish with a bolognese - style sauce ( or any chunky - style sauce ) where minuscule piece can hide into the midpoint of the shape allowing for a perfect pocket in each bite of alimentary paste . ”
Chris Curtiss
Brand Chef , North Italia
best-loved alimentary paste shape : TonnarelliWhat sauce does it go best with : Tomato - based saucesWhy it ’s the best:“I really love tonnarelli , which mimics the classic spaghetti alla chitarra that is well sleep with in the Abruzzo region of Italy . Tonnarelli differ from traditional spaghetti because of its squared cross - surgical incision , whereas spaghetti is round . This pairs perfectly with a love apple - based sauce because of its robust mouthfeel , plus it ’s well-off to eat . At North , for our new spill menu that we ’ll put out later this month , we ’ve take to elevate this alimentary paste shape even further by creating a squid ink version . The pasta cabbage is created wise daily using squid ink , then extruded and paired with a gamey bomba tomato sauce and vermouth to highlight the variety of seafood include in the cup of tea such as calamari and tiger shrimp . For those at dwelling , my advice for venturing out into using tonnarelli would be to try trade it out for spaghetti in recipes you already have . You ’d be surprised how drastically a dish aerial can change by update the style of noodle you ’re using . ”
Fernando Scarpati
Co - proprietor , Ferdi
Favorite pasta figure : RigatoniWhat sauce does it go well with : Bolognese or PomodoroWhy it ’s the good : “ The good pasta shape is a contested subject among Italians , but Rigatoni is unquestionably my favorite . Rigatoni all’amatriciana is a definitive papistical beauty , unproblematic but delightful , which has guanciale , pecorino and tomato . Rigatoni cooked al dente is the only way of life to corrode it . Rigatoni is the best pasta to maintain dense sauces because of its ridges , which is why it also pass away fantastically well with bolognese sauce , or pomodoro sauce . "
Michele Casadei Massari
Chef , Lucciola
Favorite alimentary paste shape : LumacheWhat sauce does it go best with : Alfredo Parmigiano Reggiano and “ Triple Butter ” LumacheWhy its the best:“The dish was first created in 1907 by Alfredo di Lelio — who machinate it as a motion of making love for his wife after she give birth to their first child . To help her palpate better , Alfredo modified an exist recipe by sum up more cheese and butter , turning it into a deep and creamy ' triplex burro . ' I think that lumache for this dishful and any creamy sauce sweetheart is the best shape to retain the sauce and the warmth . They do n’t have to be al dente if you do n’t like it : you’re able to prepare them and make them any grade of consistence , and they always savour awful . They are easygoing to cook and good for absorbing and convey any sauce you do it the most , make any home Captain James Cook a Master Chef ! ”
Benjamin Dodaro
Executive Chef , Patina Restaurant Group
preferred pasta form : MafaldeWhat sauce does it go best with : full-blooded ragu or cacio e pepeWhy it ’s the best : Mafalde is an extremely versatile alimentary paste , which is why it ’s one of the good to have in your buttery . I personally like to identify it as if a wavy lasagna and fettuccini had a baby , they would make mafalde . We make a homemade mafalde verde with sweet Italian sausage , fennel , onions , lily-white wine , Calabrian chili and finish off with extra virgin olive rock oil and pecorino romano . This dish is always a node deary when it ’s on the menu .
Michele Mazza
Chef , Il Mulino New York
favourite alimentary paste shape : BucatiniWhat sauce does it go well with : Amatriciana sauceWhy it ’s the adept : Bucatini is unique as it is a long noggin with a hole in the middle , when mixed with amatriciana sauce the sauce becomes a part of the pasta . It ’s like a love social function . People should try it as the bucatini can be sheer or broken and shaped to unlike size for use in different dishes such as soup or with Parmigiano Reggiano . I sleep together it because if I cook too much , the next day for breakfast I can mix it with eggs , mozzarella and Parmigiano Reggiano cheeseflower to make a frittata .
Brian Doyle
Director of Culinary Development , Strega Italiano
favourite pasta shape : CavatelliWhat sauce does it go well with : Pomodoro , pesto alla trapanese , ragu or really anything!Why it”s the best : Cavatelli is hands down my best-loved alimentary paste . Literally , it translates to little hollows . As the texture is a snatch thicker slash denser , the diminished pocket mops up and holds any sauce you ready it in . My nan used to make it for us on vacation with pomodoro , meatball , and braciola or just any average dark with sauces free-base on the season . It is now my go - to entrée at Strega Italiano , the Cavatelli e Salsicca — sausage , broccoli rabe , garlic , Calabrian chiles , stock and butter .
Squid ink tonnarelli with calamari.|Photo courtesy of North Italia
Green malfade.|Courtesy of Patina Restaurant Group
