by 
The Curious Bag
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Pasta comes in more 50 different shapes, leaving the beginning chef clueless as to why so many different varieties are needed. The fact is not all pasta works equally well in any given dish, and moreover, some shapes lend themselves to very specific recipes.
Thin Noodles
Pasta shapes such as angel hair and thin spaghetti work best with lighter sauces. Typically, a simple olive oil and herb sauce will complement angel hair perfectly, and light cream sauces are also appropriate for thin pastas.
Thick Noodles
The most common type of pasta in the U.S. is spaghetti. Other pastas in the family of thicker noodles are fettuccine, linguine and bucatini. These types of pastas are versatile, working well with nearly any kind of sauce.
Small Pastas
Orzo, alphabet pasta, ditalini and fideo are types of small pasta that are commonly added to soups. Their small size makes them easy to fit into a spoonful with other ingredients.
Hollow Pastas
Hollow pastas are best with chunky sauces so meat and vegetables can get caught in the crevices. This family of pastas includes ziti, penne, rotini, gigli and casarecce.
Stuffed Pastas
The last major category of pasta types includes the large shapes, such as manicotti, shells, ravioli and tortellini, that are typically stuffed with cheese, meat or vegetable fillings.
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