Pasta is a basic staple ingredient used in cooking. It is available in hundreds of shapes worldwide and in many different flavors. Pasta can be found dried and fresh, but can also be homemade. There are many ways in which pasta can be used but it is most popular to eat it topped with a sauce. Many types of pasta can be used as the main ingredient or in smaller amounts as an added ingredient in casseroles, soups, stews, and salads. Some types do not work well as a main ingredient and are only used as an ingredient in another dish. When pasta is served with just a sauce, it is important to consider what type, shape and flavor of pasta will best go with the sauce you plan to use. The information below will provide a better understanding of the different types of pasta that are available

Basic Types of Pasta

Dried Pasta

Dried pasta is readily available in many sizes and shapes. It is factory made and fully dried before it is packaged. Dried pasta is most often made with just semolina flour, water and salt, but it is also available made from other types of flour and seasoning. It rarely contains eggs so it can be stored indefinitely without refrigerating or freezing. The firmness of dried pasta allows it to be stored easily without damage

When the same amounts of dried and fresh pasta are cooked, the dried pasta will produce approximately 60% more than the fresh pasta. You will need to take this into consideration if substituting fresh pasta in a recipe that calls for dried pasta.

Because of its firm texture, most dried pastas, except for the more delicate sized and shaped types, work well with thick sauces and sauces containing meat and vegetables.

Fresh Pasta

Fresh pasta has a softer texture than dried pasta and requires only a short cooking time. Testing often for doneness is required to prevent pasta from overcooking. Fresh pasta does not swell in the same manner as dried pasta when cooked. It will swell only slightly.

Fresh pasta is available in a variety of sizes and shapes but not to the extent of dried pasta. It is, however, available in a greater variety of flavors. Fresh pasta most often contains eggs and has high water  making it necessary to refrigerate or freeze the pasta to keep it from spoiling. The eggs in the pasta brighten its color, add flavor, and give the pasta more nutritional value. Fresh pasta is made daily in Italian specialty stores and is found commercially in food stores both refrigerated and frozen. If refrigerated, it should be used within 3 to 4 days of purchasing it and within approximately one to two months if frozen. Fresh pasta can be dried and stored at room temperature, but it is important that the pasta is completely dried before storing. Fresh pasta is more delicate than dried pasta, making it more difficult to store.

Because fresh pasta does not swell in the same manner as dried pasta you will need approximately 50 percent more fresh pasta to equal the same amount of dried pasta. Fresh pasta's softer texture goes well with lighter sauces, such as tomato sauces, cream sauces and simple sauces made from oil or butter that is flavored with herbs.

Making fresh homemade pasta provides an opportunity to create many different flavors of pasta. A variety of flours, such as wheat flour, buckwheat flour, rice flour, soy flour, and oat flour can be used to provide different flavors. Also, other flavoring agents can be used, such as herbs and spices, corn meal, cheese, fruits, chilies, spinach, tomatoes, beets, and carrots. The different flavoring agents will also affect the color of the pasta and its texture.
 

Pasta Flavors and Colors

Dried and fresh pasta are available in various flavors and colors. The flavoring agent is the ingredient that generally affects the color of the pasta. An unlimited number of options are available to use as flavoring agents. There are pasta dough ingredients that act as flavoring agents and also extra ingredients that are added to the dough that affect the flavor and color. Some of the common agents that will affect the flavor and color of the pasta are listed below

Flavoring Agent

Description

Flavor

Color

Unbleached White Flour	A standard baking flour made from red winter wheat. Unbleached flour has not gone through all the processing that bleached flour has, so it produces a firmer dough. It is lighter than whole wheat flour and produces pasta dough that is easy to work with.	Basic pasta	Creamy beige
Semolina Flour	Flour that is finely ground from hard durum winter wheat. Semolina flour is used to make most dried pastas. It contains a fair amount of gluten, which provides elasticity to the dough, allowing the dough to be formed into a large variety of shapes.	Basic pasta	Creamy beige
Whole Wheat Flour	Flour made from whole wheat grain. Whole wheat flour is available in several different grinds and will provide heavier textured pasta than the unbleached flour. The coarser grinds are best used for flat noodles, whereas, the finer grinds can be used for most any shapes. Additional water is generally required when using whole wheat flour.	Nuttier than basic pasta	Medium tan to light brown
Buckwheat Flour	Flour made form buckwheat seeds, which have been toasted. This is a heavy flour that produces dough that is tender but slightly gritty. To lighten its texture and provide smoother dough, it is sometimes mixed with lighter flour, such as unbleached white or fine ground whole wheat. The dough cracks easily so it is best used for thick wide noodles.	Strong nutty flavor	Light to medium brown
Corn Flour	Flour made from corn, which provides a pasta that is wheat and gluten free. Corn flour produces a product that can be used by consumers that have an intolerance to wheat products. It provides a flavorful pasta alternative. The texture of pasta made from corn flour can be slightly grainier than wheat pasta.	Corn	Bright yellow
Oat Flour	High-fiber flour made from oats. It has a coarse texture and can be used in the same manner that coarsely ground whole wheat flour is used for making pasta.	Nutty	Tan to medium brown
Brown Rice Flour	Flour made from rice that has only the inedible hull removed. This flour is high in fiber and resembles pasta dough made from whole wheat flour, except the dough made from brown rice flour is a little stickier. Pasta dough made with brown rice flour works best for making flat noodles.	Slightly sweet	Tan to light brown
Rice Flour	Flour finely milled from non-glutinous rice. Rice flour is used to make thin white translucent Chinese noodles. The noodles are deep-fried to produce crunchy strands, or soaked in warm water and then added to soups or used in stir-frying.	Mild	Translucent white
Mung Bean Threads	Mung bean threads produce a gelatin-like noodle that has a translucent appearance. It is cooked and used in the same manner as rice flour noodles. The noodles are often called bean threads or cellophane noodles and are widely used in Asian cooking.	Flavorless, absorbs the flavor of the foods it is combined with	Translucent white
Corn Meal	Used to add nutrition and a distinct flavor to pasta. Corn meal is always mixed sparingly with flour so the pasta dough does not become too grainy. If the dough is too grainy it becomes difficult to roll out or extrude from a machine. Corn meal dough works best for making flat noodles. Color Note: The amount and type of corn meal added will determine how much affect it will have on the color. The corn meal may just add specks of yellow, white or blue to the color.	Corn	The type of flour used in making the dough determines the base color.  See colour note;

Flavoring Agent

Description

Flavor

Color

Flavors and Colors of Pasta - Ingredients Added to the Pasta Dough
Flavoring Agent	Description	Flavor	Color
Spinach	Finely chopped spinach is added to the pasta dough according to the recipe instructions.	Mild spinach	Medium to dark green
Broccoli	Finely chopped broccoli is added to the pasta dough according to the recipe instructions.	Mild broccoli	Medium to dark green
Tomato	Tomato paste is added to the pasta dough according to the recipe instructions.	Mild tomato	Light reddish-orange to dark reddish-orange
Beets	Cooked beets, which are used mostly to add color, are pureed and strained, then added to the pasta dough according to the recipe instructions.	Slight difference from plain pasta	Deep pink to dark red
Carrot	Pureed carrots or carrot juice is added to the pasta dough according to the recipe instructions.	Strong carrot	Orange
Red Bell Pepper	Roasted bell peppers are pureed and added according to the recipe instructions.	Slightly sweet	Bright orangish-red
Chile Pepper	Different varieties of chile peppers, such as jalapeño, cayenne, poblano, and Serrano, can be used for chile pepper pasta. The peppers should have the seeds removed and then be chopped into fine pieces or pureed. Dried chile peppers are also used. Flavor Note: The flavor will vary in strength according to the degree of hotness of the variety of chile pepper used.	A sharp biting flavor See: Flavor Note	Color will vary according to the variety of pepper used
Squid Ink	Squid or cuttlefish ink is strained from the eye "bags or sacs" of the squid or cuttlefish. It is added to the pasta recipe for a unique flavor and color.	Mild seafood	Dark gray, almost black
Garlic	Crushed garlic cloves are added according to the recipe instructions.	Garlic	Creamy beige
Garlic and Herbs	Crushed garlic cloves and one or more herbs, such as sage, thyme, parsley, chives, rosemary, tarragon, basil, and oregano, are added to the pasta dough.	Spicy Garlic	Creamy beige with green flecks
Curry	Curry powder, which is a spice blend that is generally composed of cumin, turmeric, coriander, ground red pepper, and cloves, is added to the pasta dough to provide a distinct flavor.	Spicy	Tint of burnt orange
Saffron	Saffron is added to pasta dough to give it a distinct flavor and color.	Spicy, mildly bitter	Bright yellowish-gold
Lemon	Lemon pasta contains lemon juice and/or lemon zest, which provides a very mild lemon flavor to the pasta.	Mildly tart, lemon	Light yellow
Straw- berry	The strawberries are simmered to soften them and then the juice is strained from the strawberries and added to the pasta dough.	Mild straw- berry	Dull pale red
Chocolate	Unsweetened cocoa powder and sugar are added to the dough to give it a mildly sweet chocolate flavor. It works well in sweet pasta dishes.	Mild Chocolate	Brown

Although there are many pasta flavor options that provide a variety of tastes, the pasta sauce or ingredients that are mixed with the pasta or noodles will have the biggest effect on the taste of the finished dish. The lighter or simpler the sauce is, the more the flavor of the pasta will come through.
 

Pasta Shapes

Pasta is available in many different forms and sizes. The majority of pasta shapes that are available originated in Italy but they have also been created in other parts of the world. Many types of noodles have been created in Asian countries. Certain shapes and sizes are used for specific purposes, while others can be used in several different manners.

Matching Pasta to Sauce
Shaped Pasta
Examples:	Conchiglie, farfalle, fusilli, gemelli, gnocchetti, gramigna, lumache, lumaconi, orecchiette, radiatori, route, rotini, and trenne
Sauce:	Thick tomato sauces, meat sauces, chunky sauces, and cheese sauces
Tubular Pasta
Examples:	Canneroni, cannolicchi, cavatappi, garganelli, macaroni, maccheroncelli, manicotti, paccheri, penne, rigatoni, tortiglioni, and ziti
Sauce:	Thick tomato sauces, meat sauces, chunky sauces, and thick cream sauces
Strand Pasta
Examples:	Angel hair, capellini, chitarra, fedelini, spaghetti, and vermicelli
Sauce:	Light tomato sauces, butter based sauces, light oil based sauces, and light cream based sauces.
Ribbon Pasta
Examples:	Fettuccine, lasagne, linguine, pappardelle, riginette, tagliatelle, and trenette
Sauce:	For the wider dried pastas - meat sauces, thick tomato sauces, and thick cream sauces. For narrow or fresh pastas - Light tomato sauces, butter based sauces, light oil based sauces, and light cream based sauces.
Soup Pasta
Examples:	Acini di pepe, alphabets, anellini, conchigliette, ditali, farfalline, orzo, pastine, risi, stele, stortini, and tubetti
Sauce:	Light sauces, mainly used in broth or soups with a light base.
Stuffed Pasta
Examples:	Agnolotti, pansotti, ravioli, tortelli, and tortellini
Sauce:	Light tomato sauce, light cream based sauce, and broth
Asian Noodles
Examples:	Asian wheat noodles, Chinese egg noodles, Asian rice noodles, cellophane noodles, cornstarch noodles, seaweed noodles, and soba noodles
Sauce:	Generally not eaten with a sauce. Used in stir-fries, soups and salads.