There are hundreds of different pasta shapes. Long pasta, short pasta, stuffed pasta, thin pasta, thick pasta etc. How do you know which type of pasta is best served with your pesto sauce?
Many people reach for the first box of pasta they see in their pantry. But certain shapes of pasta work best with certain types of pasta sauce. The correct type of noodle will more readily bind to certain sauces.
The best way to select a pasta shape is to think about the sauce. A thick creamy sauce, like alfredo, needs a different type of noodle than a thin loose sauce, like tomato sauce.
Choosing the right pasta shape for your own pesto recipe makes a big difference in the finished dish.
As a general rule, big thick hearty noodles are best for big thick hearty sauces. Thinner lighter noodles are best when paired with thinner lighter sauces.
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What is Pesto?
Pesto is a classic Italian dish. It is a green oil-based herb sauce from Genoa, Italy. Traditionally pesto is made with fresh ingredients like fresh basil leaves, pine nuts, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, parmesan cheese, salt, and black pepper.
They are typically blended together in a food processor or blender. It is a great way to sneak a little extra nutrition into an easy meal for the whole family.
Normally pesto is served uncooked since the heat from cooking would destroy the flavor and color of vibrant pesto.
I am not a huge fan of basil pesto so I created this great recipe for spinach pesto. You can also make homemade pesto with a variety of other greens.
There are so many easy dinner options that utilize freshly made pesto.
- Shrimp Pesto Pasta Recipe
- Pesto Chicken Quinoa Bowl
- Shrimp Pesto Flatbread Pizza
- Chicken Pesto Pasta Stuffed Shells
Which Pasta Shapes Are Best For Pesto?
While you could use just about any shape of pasta, certain shapes cling to oily pesto better. Pesto clings best to shapes that have, twists, grooves, and curls.
There are so many pasta shapes to choose from I tried to stick with those that are most commonly found at the grocery store. You can use dried or fresh pasta.
Gemelli
One of my favorite shapes to serve covered in pesto is Gemelli. Pesto clings to its twisted double-helix shape perfectly.
Fusilli
Fusilli is shaped like a corkscrew. It can be hollow or solid. Its numerous curves and grooves make it another great option for pesto.
Linguine
A strand or ribbon pasta like linguine pair well with pesto. The pesto will coat each strand of pasta while linguine's thicker shape and large surface area will stand up to pesto's strong flavors better than a thinner spaghetti noodle would.
Farfalle
This bow-tie-shaped pasta would be perfect for an easy pesto pasta salad with mozzarella cheese or feta cheese, cherry tomatoes, roasted red peppers, zucchini, and black olives. The grooves and troughs formed by the bow-tie shape collect bits of pesto easily.
Rotini
Rotini is a short corkscrew shaped pasta. Rotini in Italian means “small wheels.” It’s similar in shape to previously mentioned fusilli, but rotini is extruded into a twist using a pasta die, whereas fusilli is made by twisting strands of pasta into little spring-like shapes.
Cavatappi
Cavatappi is a type of macaroni noodle that is formed in to an elongated corkscrew shape. In addition to it's corkscrew shape it often has lines or ridges across its surface which is great for gripping onto the pesto.
This shape is one of my favorite ways to get my son to try a new pasta dish. He just can't resist its fun shape and its size is great for little fingers to pick up.
Orecchiette
The word orecchiette when translated means "small ear." Which is the perfect description for it's lightly curved shape. Orecchiette's curved shape will easily scoop up little bits of pesto into each divot.
The curves and grooves in each “hold pesto sauces well and allow for the herb-based oil to stick to the pasta
There are so many pasta shapes to choose from. What kind of pasta is your favorite pasta shape to pair with homemade pesto sauce?
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