Wheat Foods Council - Grain Information Center

Pastabilities Are Endless

"Pasta," an Italian word meaning "paste," describes the various shapes and sizes of products made with flour and water. There are more than 600 shapes of pasta worldwide, ranging from the tiny bead-like North African couscous, Greek orzo and German spaetzle to the larger, ingredient-filled Italian ravioli, Asian wontons and Polish pierogis.

Pasta products may be divided into two types; dried or commercial and fresh. Pasta may also be categorized by shape:

Long goods such as spaghetti, fettuccine or linguine
Short goods, including elbows, rotini, penne and ziti
Specialty products, such as shells, bow ties and lasagna

Following is a guide to choosing a type of pasta based on the accompanying sauce:

Thin delicate pasta should be served with light, thin sauces.
Thicker shapes work well with heavier sauces.
Pasta shapes with holes or ridges are best for chunkier sauces. Ridges hold sauce better.

To go back to the Welcome to the World of Pastabilities home page and menu, click here