what kind of pasta is pesto good on

Quick answer When eating pesto with pasta, our go-to shapes are fusilli, linguine, and farfalle. There are, however, plenty of other, more adventurous shapes that work just as well.

Long answer Some people get incredibly hung up about what pasta shapes you should pair with which sauces. We’re far more relaxed. If you want to pair our pesto with orzo or ravioli, we’re not going to report you to the pesto police. Having said that, there are some very real reasons why different shapes suit different sauces.

Thick, meaty, ragù-type sauces generally need to be paired with big, hearty noodles such as pappardelle or with traditional tube shapes like rigatoni.

Pesto, on the other hand, flourishes best when paired with thinner noodles, such as spaghetti and linguine, and with shapes that have plenty of twists, grooves, curls, and troughs.

Fusilli is not only one of the most well-known pasta shapes; it’s also the UK’s most popular and our ultimate shape to use with pesto.

Other lesser-known pasta shapes, such as orecchiette and cassarecce, can now be found in some supermarkets, but for some of the lesser-known shapes youre either going to have to take a trip to your nearest Italian deli or, better yet, make them yourself.

Garganelli is a fascinating shape. Its basically pennes badass cousin because it shares the same tube shape, but has lots of little grooves on the outside, making it perfect for attracting and holding onto a herby, oily basil pesto.

Linguine or its flattened cousin, trenette, are both great with pesto, and on occasion you might find us tucking in to a ribbon-shaped pasta like mafaldine.

Ultimately, if youre using our pesto, your dish will taste great regardless of your pairing choices, but experiment with pairing your sauce with different shapes and see how the dish is affected.

If youre looking for a way to step up your pasta and pesto game, why not make some changes to the traditional basil and pine nut pesto? For a creative take on the sauce, you can easily swap basil for different herbs like mint, parsley, or tarragon. Likewise, you can also switch up the nuts and replace them with walnuts, pistachios, hazelnuts, or almonds — doesnt that sound delicious?

However, did you know that there are certain rules you should follow when pairing pasta, especially when it comes to pesto sauce? Hailing from the northern Italian region of Liguria, Delish notes that pesto sauce is made by using a mortar and pestle to combine basil, pine nuts, olive oil, garlic, and Parmigiano Reggiano. Super fresh and fragrant, pesto has become a staple sauce thats synonymous with Italian cuisine, making it the ideal addition to all sorts of recipes, including these Italian-inspired deviled eggs.

If you dont happen to have a box of gemelli (the Italian word for “twins”) on hand, Greatist shares that loosely curled casarecce, corkscrew-like fusilli, and twisted trofie (a Liguria classic) also work amazingly as their curves, grooves, and curls allow pesto to fill every crevice. Naturally, if more surface area is coated, that ensures every bite is full of flavor.

In fact, Saveur notes that pesto is a way of life in Liguria, frequently being drizzled on fresh fish, added to vegetable stews, and spread on focaccia. However, the sauce is most beloved to dress pasta, in particular — but what shape reigns supreme?

To match the infinite number of pasta shapes, there is an equally infinite number of ways to dress pasta. Maybe its because of the endless possibilities that macaroni frequently ends up on dinner tables across the country, contributing to the nearly 6 billion pounds consumed yearly (via Share the Pasta).

Thick, meaty, ragù-type sauces generally need to be paired with big, hearty noodles such as pappardelle or with traditional tube shapes like rigatoni.

Garganelli is a fascinating shape. Its basically pennes badass cousin because it shares the same tube shape, but has lots of little grooves on the outside, making it perfect for attracting and holding onto a herby, oily basil pesto.

Linguine or its flattened cousin, trenette, are both great with pesto, and on occasion you might find us tucking in to a ribbon-shaped pasta like mafaldine.

Fusilli is not only one of the most well-known pasta shapes; it’s also the UK’s most popular and our ultimate shape to use with pesto.

Pesto, on the other hand, flourishes best when paired with thinner noodles, such as spaghetti and linguine, and with shapes that have plenty of twists, grooves, curls, and troughs.

Pesto Pasta

What is the best pasta for pesto?

So, which are the best types of pasta for pesto? The best pasta for pesto is one that ensures even distribution of the pesto and carries the pesto well from plate to fork. The most popular types of pasta for pesto are smooth strand pasta, such as linguine and spaghetti, and spiral pasta such as trofie and fusilli.

What are healthier alternatives for pasta?

Regular pasta is made with refined wheat flour, leaving these noodles with scant levels of fiber, vitamins and minerals. Here are six pasta alternatives to traditional pasta which can be enjoyed with out sacrificing vitamins, minerals, proteins and carbs. They are, Zucchini noodles, Squash noodles, Quinoa pasta, Rice pasta, Black bean pasta, Shirataki noodles. Spaghetti squash is an excellent pasta substitute. Spiralized vegetables is an healthier substitute to pasta.

Is Pesto Pasta healthy?

Pesto Pasta Is Good for You. By adding fresh vegetables like cherry tomatoes and spinach, as well as using whole wheat noodles, eating pesto pasta can be healthy and is an absolute pleasure. My homemade Basil Pesto is healthy, so it will help keep this recipe on the lighter side too. Whole Wheat Pasta.

What type of pasta is used in pasta al pesto?

The types of pasta traditionally used in pasta al pesto are trofie and trenette. Trofie is a short and thin twisted pasta that is perfect for pesto because the little crevices catch a lot of the sauce. Trenette is a long and narrow flat pasta that is similar to linguine.