PastaLoverz is an independent website about pasta for home cooks. Here you will find guides to individual shapes, clear explanations of cooking technique, pairing advice, regional traditions and recipes. New to pasta? Start with the basics below. Already cooking regularly? Browse by shape or by sauce.
Start with the basics
- How to cook pasta properly: the method that works for most dried pasta, how to judge doneness and how to avoid sticking.
- Seven common pasta mistakes: the habits that make pasta bland, sticky or mushy, and how to fix each one.
- Water, salt and starch: how much water to use and what the cooking water does for a sauce.
- Mantecatura: finishing pasta in the pan for a glossy sauce.
Choose the right pasta
- Pasta shapes guide: names, types and what to serve with each.
- Pasta types explained: fresh, dried, whole wheat and gluten-free.
- Pasta pairing guide: which shape goes with which sauce.
- Fifteen classic pasta sauces and the best pasta for Alfredo sauce.
- Bronze-cut vs Teflon-extruded pasta: why the die changes how sauce clings.
Traditions and history
- Regional pasta guide: Italy’s pasta traditions, region by region.
- The four classic Roman pastas: cacio e pepe, gricia, amatriciana and carbonara.
- Pasta history: how pasta developed, and which popular stories are myths.
Popular shape guides
Browse every guide in Pasta Shape Guides, or start with one of these:
- Rigatoni, penne and fusilli
- Orecchiette, cavatelli and orzo
- Fettuccine, tagliatelle and pappardelle
- Ravioli, tortelloni and cannelloni
Recipes
- Lasagna Bolognese and classic beef lasagna
- Cacio e pepe, spaghetti alle vongole and spaghetti alla puttanesca
- Garlic butter Parmesan spaghetti and creamy chicken pasta
Tools
Not sure how much to cook? Try the pasta portion calculator. If you want to make fresh pasta, see tools for homemade pasta.
About this site
PastaLoverz is written and edited by Syed Yasararafat, a home-cooking enthusiast. The guides are checked against cookery references and packet instructions, and where the history of a dish is uncertain, they say so. Read more on the About page, or get in touch through the contact page.
