

You can also decide between dry pasta (which has a distinct chewy texture) and fresh pasta (which is often softer and quicker to cook). When shopping for your Italian dinner menu, you can choose from flat pastas, tube pastas, tiny pastas, and even stuffed pastas. In a large pot, melt the bacon grease and pour in the tomatoes with the juice. For instance, the thin strands of capellini are perfect for serving with a light and creamy shrimp pasta recipe and the tiny grain-like shape of orzo pasta is great for making pasta salads. But depending on your pasta recipe, the size, shape, and texture of the pasta all play a role in which type you should use.Ĭonsider the final dish before you pick out which pasta to make. Whether it's classic pasta shapes or fun new variations with twists and ruffles, there are so many different options to choose from in the world of pasta. With more than 600 different pasta shapes, it's no wonder Ree Drummond makes pasta one of her go-to easy dinners during the week! "If I were stranded on a desert island and could choose only one category of food to eat the rest of my life, I'd pick pasta hands down," she says.
