Pasta grains and potatoes

are pillow shaped squares of dough . They can be filled with cheese, seafood, meat or veggies and topped with sauce, served in soups or simply be drizzled with olive oil

It is similar to the spaghetti, a little flatter and is considered to be more luxurious. The extra surface area means that it is perfect for pairing with lighter textures, like cream based sauces or seafood.

It is like penne, it has tubes with small ridges on the outside, but they are slightly wider and cut into a square rather than diagonally

It is known as ‘bow-tie’ pasta and translating to ‘butterfly’ from Italian, this pasta is shaped like exactly that. It’s a relatively small pasta, with a large surface area which is why it best pairs with a cheese, or rich tomato sauce as the ‘wings’ hold the sauce perfectly. It also compliments a cold pasta salad, and is sometimes served with grilled chicken

This pasta has a spiralled, corkscrew like shape that pair perfectly with rich meat sauces or chunky vegetables as the chunks get caught in the crevices of the twirls giving the dish a lovely texture.

are small tubes of pasta that are cut into short lengths and often curved. Often they’re found floating in a minestrone or cheese sauce, ready to be thrown into the oven for a good old Mac ‘n Cheese so they don’t really need to hold sauce

can either come flat or pre-rolled into large tubes, which are then stuffed with various fillings, such as spinach and ricotta cheese. This large pasta also pairs well with a simple, light sauce like tomato.

“Cooking should be a carefully balanced reflection of all the good things of the earth.”

Pasta’s history is as varied as its shapes. While widespread consumption is documented from the 14th century, it is believed to have existed in some form in ancient China and Greece. And evidence of pasta dishes appeared in Italian recipe books in the early 1200s.

pasta’s popularity boomed, and by the time the United States was formed, noodles of all shapes and sizes appeared on tables across the colonies.