THE LOWDOWN
Which pasta shape for which sauce?
Here’s where we share k now-how from our home test kitchens with you – the juicy bits; the golden nuggets of knowledge we’ve discussed and learned while testing our recipes this month… What’s the best shape of pasta for a particular sauce? What’s a reverse sear – and why is it a great technique to master? Plus that burning question: is a wok really the best pan for making popcorn? Find out the answers to those skillsboosting questions and more in these pages
BY ACTING FOOD EDITOR JULES MERCER
THE delicious. FOOD TEAM
We all know what to do with sheets of lasagne – make a lasagne. But what do all those other hundreds of pasta shapes go best with?
Long, skinny pasta goes with smooth sauces
Think carbonara on silky linguine, or cacioe pepe on spaghetti or bucatini. The smooth sauce clings to the long strands of pasta.
Short pasta shapes go with textured sauces
Shorter shapes have twists and turns, funnels and holes to hold denser sauces. The sauces sit in the nooks and crevices, making each mouthful perfect. Think penne, rigatoni and fusilli for sauces such as bean and sausage (p81) or a chunkier roast veg sauce.