From vermicelli to ravioli, there are so many different pasta varieties and even more ways to prepare them. Whether you plan to cook at home or go out for dinner, you might wonder which kinds of pasta and sauces work best together. Refer to the following guide on sauce pairings from professional pizza and pasta chefs. 

4 Pasta Types & Delectable Sauce Options 

1. Long Noodles

As a general rule, long and delicate pasta, such as spaghetti and angel hair, create a nice balance with light cream, tomato, oil, or seafood-based sauces. Take shrimp scampi with garlic and herbs, for example. Long, ribboned noodles, such as pappardelle, fettuccine, and tagliatelle, absorb the richer cream and meat sauces nicely. 

2. Shells & Twists

Shelled pasta, including cavatelli, pipe rigate, and conchiglie, go well with heavy meat sauces, such as bolognese, allowing the savory flavors into their crevices. On the other hand, twists like fusilli, campanelle, and rotini stand out when paired with light and smooth sauces, such as alfredo or pesto. 

3. Tubes

Penne, rigatoni, manicotti, and other tubed pasta marry well with ragu and similarly hearty sauces. These sauces easily make their way inside the tubes, resulting in bursts of flavor in every bite. Try chicken carbonara with penne or baked rigatoni with beef at your local pizza and pasta restaurant. 

4. Filled 

Pasta with fillings, such as ravioli and tortellini, do best with lighter, more understated sauces. Butter and oil sauces enhance the cheese, meat, and vegetable fillings without overwhelming them. Pumpkin ravioli in sage brown butter sauce is a great example.

The next time you get a craving for pizza and pasta, dine at Ozark Mountain Pizza with your loved ones. Since 2012, this family restaurant has proudly served sandwiches, calzones, wings, pizza, and pasta made with premium ingredients to hungry patrons throughout Branson, MO. Call them at (417) 386-4210 to order pizza and pasta for carry-out or delivery. Visit them online to take advantage of their specials on pizzas, breadsticks, and two-liter sodas.