Shorter, rounded pasta shapes for your cream sauce

When it comes to shorter pasta varieties, Chef Mirabile offers clear guidance. "Mostaccioli and penne, along with rigatoni, pair wonderfully with cream sauces, as the sauce clings well to the pasta," he explained.
Penne is one of the most recognized pasta shapes globally, and you're likely familiar with it. Its hollow structure makes it an ideal vessel for holding sauces. Additionally, the exterior features small ridges that help sauces adhere to the pasta tubes. However, a smooth variant of penne, known as mostaccioli in Southern Italy, lacks these ridges and has a sleek surface.
Rigatoni shares the same cylindrical form as penne, but instead of pointed ends, it has straight-cut edges, giving each piece a short tube appearance. This pasta is always ridged, ensuring that it will hold onto your cream sauce as soon as they come together.
Choose whichever pasta you prefer (or have on hand) and get started on that Olive Garden Alfredo sauce (which uses heavy cream as a secret ingredient) you've been wanting to make. A steaming plate of pasta coated in creamy sauce is a comforting dinner option, no matter the time of year.
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