With so many different pastas available now, it can be a bit overwhelming trying to work out which one is what. Well sit tight and we will take a quick journey into the world of pasta and determine which one is what.

Cannelloni
Cannelloni are large hollow tubes which are stuffed with sauce mixture. My favorite is ricotta and spinach sauce that is then baked in the oven with a tomato sauce over the top.

Conchiglie
Conchigle is the shell shaped pastas. These come in a variety of sizes from tiny shells that are good in soups to very large with can be stuffed. It is a good short pasta that is great with chunky sauces and attractive in pasta salads.

Farfalle
Bow shaped, this pasta is very useful and attractive in pasta salads.

Fusilli
These are thin spiral shapes. Fusilli is good with chunky style sauces because it holds onto the sauce well. It is also good in pasta salads for the same reason.

Lasagna (Lasagne)
Large flat sheets of pasta. Used in dishes of layered fillings such as meat and cheese sauce that are then baked in the oven.

Macaroni
Macaroni is a small hollow tube that is twisted. It is the classic pasta used in Macaroni Cheese.

Spaghetti
Well we all know this one. Spaghetti is long thin strands of pasta and great used in bolognese and carbonara sauces.

Tagliatelle, Linguine, Fettuccine, Pappardelle
Known as ribbon noodles, these are long and flat in varying widths. Great for use with creamy sauces.

Ravioli
One of the stuffed pastas. It is small, flat squares of pasta stuffed with any variety of fillings such as meat, cheese, mushrooms.

Tortellini
Another stuffed style of pasta. Made from semi circle pieces of pasta folded and rolled into a little round bundle.

Vermicelli
Very fine, thin strings of which the finest variety is called angel hair. It is best used with other fine ingredients such as prawns and crab. Vermicelli is often used to make nests to hold the dish.

Hopefully this will take some of the confusion out of the next pasta recipe you read.

Have fun cooking and until our next cooking tip together. Enjoy!

Lisa The Crock Cook