To create the most satisfying bowl of pasta, think strategically about your noodle shape. Believe it or not, some noodles work better than others with certain sauces and recipes.

• Smooth-finish noodles are best for thicker, chunkier sauces that won’t slide off the noodle
• Long noodles are best with light, delicate sauces (think olive oil-based sauces) that won’t weigh down the fragile pasta strands
• Noodles with ridges or spirals are excellent for holding any type of sauce since it can cling to the grooves of the pasta
• Short noodles are versatile and work well in pasta bakes, soups and a variety of light to heavy sauces

Compagnia San Remo Pasta

This deliciously simple pasta is made with 100% organic durum wheat semolina, water and nothing else. Each batch is made in a 100-year-old pastificio (pasta making facility) in Abruzzo, Italy using a large, sophisticated mill designed explicitly for the processing of Durum wheat.

Unlike many mass-produced pastas, San Remo’s products are made by craft pasta specialists whose practices represent the very best of Italy.

Our favorite recipe: We love to use their gigli (which is cone-shaped with a ruffled edge) in our recipe for Sanremo Gigli with Prawns and Pine Nuts. A few simple ingredients like extra virgin olive oil, crunchy pine nuts and fresh parsley make this dish a winner.

Rustichella D’Abruzzo Fregola Sarda

Made in Sardinia, Italy, this unique tiny pearl pasta is the Italians’ version of Israeli couscous. It’s made with the finest quality durum wheat that’s been blended with pure mountain spring water. Hand-carved, century-old bronze dies are used to make the pasta, which is slowly air-dried for a rustic texture, then toasted in a wood burning oven for rich, nutty flavor.

Our favorite recipe: Try this pasta in our recipe for Cold Fregola Sarda Salad. Shrimp, lemon, fresh basil, zucchini and a few simple ingredients come together to create a dish that’s satisfying, flavorful and not too heavy.