Pasta

The Easiest Way to Improve Any Pasta Dish, According to Ina Garten

Why haven't we tried this before?

by: Emma Laperruque

February 15, 2019

The Easiest Way to Improve Any Pasta Dish, According to Ina Garten

Photo by Rocky Luten

I make pasta at least once a week, so I thought I knew all the tricks: Cook until al dente (toothsome, not tender). Salt the water lavishly (I estimate a heaping tablespoon of salt per quart of water). And use a small amount of water for the best pan sauce (looking at you, aglio e olio).

But, then I binge-read Ina Garten’s latest cookbook, Cook Like a Pro, learned a game-changing trick—and it just happened to be easiest of all: Use different pasta shapes in the same dish.

“I love using two different kinds of pasta,” Ina writes, “not only because they add great texture but because you use up the leftover boxes of pasta in your pantry.”

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To put it lightly, my pantry has a lot of leftover boxes of pasta. Penne. Rigatoni. Fusilli. Cavatappi. Spaghetti. Why did I never think to combine them? Maybe because no recipe had ever given me permission. But, if Ina’s doing it—I want to be doing it.

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Top Comment:

“I have been mixing pasta shapes for ages, always roundish (such as penne and spiral) or roundish with farfalle, not long pasta. I try to keep a reasonable balance so that it's not mostly one thing and a little of another, which looks like leftovers. I often use 3 or 4 types, not just 2. I do this mostly for baked pastas such as Mac and cheese or baked pasta with tomato sauce to which I might add baby spinach, peas, chopped mushrooms, chopped zucchini, chopped chicken sausage (not all at once). ”

— margaret S.

Comment

She showcases this trick in her Baked Pasta With Tomatoes & Eggplant, which calls for penne rigate and fusilli. So, two short shapes: one tubular, the other twirly.

There are no rules to mixing and matching pasta shapes. Just follow this general idea: Combine short shapes with other short shapes, and long shapes with other long shapes. And who’s to stop you from combining three, or even four, different types? Whatever the original recipe calls for, just add in one or more new shapes.

How easy was that?

Penne + Fusilli

Fusilli with Kale-Cashew Pesto

Ina Garten's Pasta alla Vecchia Bettola

Rigatoni + Cavatappi

Elote Rigatoni

Cavatappi with Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Brie & Arugula

Spaghetti + Fettucine

Spaghetti Aglio e Olio e Salsiccia (Spaghetti With Garlic, Olive Oil & Sausage)

Fettuccine Alfredo for One

Orecchiette + Farfalle

Fall Weeknight Pasta

Bow Tie Pasta Salad with No-Cook Tomato Sauce

Have you ever mixed and matched pasta shapes before? Tell us which ones in the comments!

See what other Food52 readers are saying.

meg
mdelgatty
Mary
shelagh
Pat Francis

Emma was the food editor at Food52. She created the award-winning column, Big Little Recipes, and turned it into a cookbook in 2021. These days, she's a senior editor at Bon Appétit, leading digital cooking coverage. Say hello on Instagram at @emmalaperruque.

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52 Comments

meg April 5, 2020

All us poor people do it because we have to. You have to do a little math to get them all to come out at the same time.

mdelgatty March 15, 2020

Oh, good grief... isn't this self-evident?

foodyjudy March 16, 2020

uh huh

Mary March 15, 2020

I have been doing this for about 10 years. Rotini and bowties is one of my favorite combos. Not only do they hold the sauces differently, but one will be slightly more chewty than the other- the mouth appeal is greatly enhanced!

shelagh February 9, 2020

Many times I’ve wanted to cook pasta but have been dismayed finding a partial package, of rotini or bow tie and a full box of lasagna noodles, moving on to another starch altogether. Just recently I simply broke the lasagna noodles into one inch pieces and wonder how it took me 50 years to figure this out.

Pat F. March 2, 2019

I often do this for pasta salad--bowties and rotini or similar. I haven't done it with the long, spaghetti-type pastas.

Vivienne March 1, 2019

I have combined different pasta shapes/types together in the past. But it was a while back when I needed more pasta than I had in any one box. Put the type that must cook longer in the pot first and set the timer to remind you to put in the second type. I had forgotten how much I liked the result and will do it again soon by choice, not necessity.

Atara March 1, 2019

I do the same thing when I find several opened boxes of pasta in the pantry. The trick is the cooking times. You start with the longest cooking one and add others for their appropriate cooking times.

RisenWell March 1, 2019

Not sure that this constitutes an "improvement"....more a common-sense approach to your larder. The pasta,no matter its shape, is going to taste the same , given the same sauce,etc.

Rosemarie February 28, 2019

This is a typical way Italians used whatever was in their pantry. My Grandmother, Mother and I do it. Specifically for lentils, beans or potatoes with pasta. So well known that Barilla sells a mixed pasta!

m H. March 1, 2019

I didn't know about Barilla's mixed pasta. Thanks.

Lori1266 February 28, 2019

All the time! Saves running to the store and it's all pasta. Sometimes I will start the larger ones first, then add smaller shapes later so that they cook at the same time.

MiaChae February 28, 2019

In Italy this is called Pasta Misto (mixed). You can buy it in any market there. It’s my favorite in pasta fagiole!

Doris A. February 28, 2019

I've been combining rotini (my favorite, as it holds lots of yummy sauce!) and spaghetti, which my husband prefers, for the last few years. It may be a bit tricky to separate after cooking, but we each end up with (mostly) our favorite form of pasta. When making baked pasta (mac & cheese, tuna & 'noodles'), I combine shells & elbow macaroni, 'just because'.

NS February 28, 2019

I have done this for a long time with short dried pasta shapes - in order to have part whole wheat and part white pasta. Most times using all whole wheat is very noticeable, but 1/2 and 1/2 slides under the radar. Yes, of course I pay attention to cooking time.

foodyjudy February 28, 2019

I do this all the time. I just put the pasta in the water at different times according to direction on package..I, too, always have partial boxes of pasta..Glad to get the reinforcement though.

Andrew W. March 1, 2019

THANK YOU! I'm obviously a little slow, because I couldn't figure out how I was going to cook both properly when they have different cooking times.

margaret S. February 28, 2019

I have been mixing pasta shapes for ages, always roundish (such as penne and spiral) or roundish with farfalle, not long pasta. I try to keep a reasonable balance so that it's not mostly one thing and a little of another, which looks like leftovers. I often use 3 or 4 types, not just 2. I do this mostly for baked pastas such as Mac and cheese or baked pasta with tomato sauce to which I might add baby spinach, peas, chopped mushrooms, chopped zucchini, chopped chicken sausage (not all at once).

John H. February 28, 2019

Is Ina still putting olive oil in the pasta water? Does she still think that fresh oregano is “too strong”? A few of her recipes are still my go-tos (tequilla lime chicken breasts are amazing) but her Italian has been questionable. Just be careful that you have pastas with the same cooking times. And just in case this warning is not explicit in her book, do NOT combine dry and fresh pastas. Surprising how often this is tried.

Ramona W. February 28, 2019

Of course! 1/2 box of twirlies and 1/2 box of shellies left in the pantry? Throw em in there. Delicious 😋

Phoebe E. February 28, 2019

It is not a new tricks! In Italy there are several recipes that calls for using different format of pasta. The most famous is the Neapolitan pasta e fagioli. Some restaurant even serve this dish using 15 types of different pasta!

bunten February 28, 2019

Not so easy after all for the careful cook. Different shapes cook at different rates.

Madlyn C. February 28, 2019

So you add the pastas at the appropriate cooking time for that pasta. If one pasta has to cook for 10 minutes and the other 8, cook the longer cooking for two minutes before adding the 8 minute pasta. It should turn out fine.

Carole S. February 28, 2019

Also... check the cooking times.... One type may need to go in the water first, depending on the types of pasta used....