| Shapes |
Perfect Sauce Match (Descriptions and Suggestions) |
Example Recipes |
Flat Long Shapes
Fettuccine, Fettuccine Rigate, Linguine, Linguine Fini
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As the thicker flat long shape, Fettuccine can withstand extremely robust sauces:
• Dairy-based, oil-based or tomato-based sauces • Sauces combined with meat, vegetables, seafood or cheese
Linguine is best known paired with traditional pesto. Other perfect matches include: • Tomato sauces • Oil-based sauces • Fish-based sauces
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Creamy Fettuccine with Italian Sausage and Leeks
Fettuccine with Shrimp and Vegetables
Linguine with Sun-dried Tomatoes
Linguine with Clam and Leek Sauce
Linguine Fini with Scallops |
Round Long Shapes
Angel Hair, Spaghetti, Spaghetti Rigati, Thick Spaghetti, Thin Spaghetti |
Thicker in diameter than regular Spaghetti, Thick Spaghetti give a fuller taste to each sauce. • Extra virgin olive oil with fresh aromatic herbs and garlic • Fish-based sauces • Carbonara
Long and thin, yet not too fine, Spaghetti becomes brisk and graceful after cooking and is one of the most versatile shapes. Everybody’s favorite, Spaghetti pairs well with just about any kind of sauce.
• Simple tomato sauce*, with or without meat or vegetables – medium-size chunks work well • Fish-based sauces • Oil-based sauces • Carbonara
Slightly thicker than Angel Hair but still refined and delicate, Thin Spaghetti is often used with seafood-based sauces (like tuna) or oil-based sauces.
• Light structured sauces work best to balance the delicacy of this long shape (Angel Hair) • Simple, light tomato sauces* (tomatoes, oil, and basil) • Broths, consommés, and soups • Light dairy sauces like parsley crème
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Angel Hair with Lobster
Caprese-style Spaghetti
Spaghetti Carbonara
Thick Spaghetti with Shrimp
Thin Spaghetti with Fresh Vegetables
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Baking Shapes
Lasagne, Manicotti, Jumbo Shells
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These famous baking shapes are known for their generous consistency and heartiness, allowing for use with the most robust and highly flavorful sauces and the most sumptuous and creative fillings. Sauces can be rich in chunks and abundant with moisture to facilitate oven-baking. Lasagne, the most well-known pasta al forno, varies from region to region – Tuscans and Emilia-Romagnans make it with a béchamel, a meat ragu and grated Parmigiano; Ligurians make it with pesto.
• Meat-based sauces like traditional Bolognese • Any Barilla sauce
• Dairy-based sauces like a classic béchamel • Vegetable-based sauces
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Lasagne with Pink Sauce, Leeks and Sausage
Lasagne Bolognese-style
Three Cheese Manicotti |
Elbow Shapes Elbows, Pipette |
Traditionally, these shapes are used widely in American-inspired pasta salads, and in the American favorite macaroni & cheese. Traditional Italian usage might include: • Dairy-based sauces (butter or cheese) • Tomato-based sauces* with or without vegetables • Chunky fish/meat-based sauce.
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Elbows Pasta Salad with Three Italian Cheeses
Pipette with Fresh Spinach and Ricotta Cheese
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Shell Shapes Large Shells, Medium Shells
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Large Shells
are great with vegetable-based sauces and heartier meat or tomato-based sauces.
Medium shells are used widely in American-inspired pasta salads, and in the American favorite macaroni & cheese. Traditional Italian usage might include: Dairy-based sauces.
• Dairy-based sauces • Tomato based sauces • Pasta salads • Meat sauces
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Large Shells with Ricotta Cheese and Tomato Basil Sauce
Medium Shells with Seafood Salad
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Soup Shapes
Pastina, Orzo, Ditalini |
Known for being served in children’s meals across all of Italy, Pastina is very delicate and great with light vegetable, meat or fish-based broth soups.
Heartier soups like vegetable soups with peas and lentils are perfect for the more substantial soup shapes, Orzo and Ditalini. Also great with cream-based soups.
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Cauliflower and Leek Soup with Orzo
Italian Wedding Soup
Pastina with Meat Broth
Vegetable Soup with Ditalini
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Specialty Shapes
Campanelle, Farfalle (Bow Tie), Fiori, Tri-Color Fiori |
For a touch of elegance to any dish, these specialty shapes are great with:
• Hearty dairy-based sauces (cheese or béchamel) • Vegetable sauces (like beans, lentils, chick peas, pumpkin, or other chunky vegetables) • Meat sauces • Fish-based sauces • Robust tomato-based sauces*
Farfalle is great with intense fragrances and flavors. • Light sauces with vegetables or fish • Dairy-based sauces • Simple oil-based sauces • Pasta salads
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Campanelle with Broccoli
Farfalle with Peppers and Arugula
Fiori Salad with Green Olives, Tuna and Fresh Herbs
Tri-Color Fiori with Fresh Vegetables
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Tube Shapes
Mezze Penne, Mezzi Rigatoni, Mostaccioli, Penne, Rigatoni, Ziti |
The thickness of these shapes requires full flavor sauces. The large diameter, combined with the ridges that Penne & Rigatoni bring, make them ideal to retain sauces on the entire surface, inside and out!
• Chunkier meat or vegetable-based sauces work well with the ridged shapes
• Refined dairy-based sauces, like Barilla Three Cheese or a mushroom cream sauce
• Fresh, light sauces – like olive oil or simple fresh tomato – work best with smooth shapes (Mostaccioli, Ziti)
• Tomato sauces or spicy sauces
• Also great for baked casserole dishes, known as “pasta al forno” – great with cheese-based sauces |
Baked Mostaccioli
Baked Ziti with Italian Baking Sauce
Mezze Penne with Three Cheese Sauce and Peas
Mezzi Rigatoni with Chick Peas
Penne with Italian Sausage
Rigatoni with Pancetta Sauce |
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Twist Shapes Cellentani, Gemelli, Rotini, Tri-Color Rotini
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Made with lots of twists and spirals, allowing it to embrace both refined and simple sauces. Vegetables, meat, seafood or fragrant spices love to glide in the grooves of these shapes. Twist shapes are often used in American pasta salads. Traditional Italian usage might include:
• Light tomato sauces* with or without vegetables (small diced) • Dairy-based sauces • Oil-based sauces
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Cellentani with Spicy Lamb Ragu
Gemelli with Genovese Pesto and Green Beans
Rotini with Swordfish and Peas
Classic Pasta Salad
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