Flour-and-Water Pasta Shapes

Spaghettini Literally little or thin spaghetti. It’s especially important not to overcook spaghettini. It goes well with simple but savory sauces, such as olive oil and garlic or spicy tomato sauces, but not with heavy sauces.

Spaghetti Probably the best known of all pasta shapes, spaghetti are a masterful invention. Their sturdy texture make them a perfect vehicle for a wide variety of sauces but not meat sauces or ones with large chunks.

Spaghetti alla Chitarra This wonderful pasta, whose shape resembles square spaghetti, originated in Abruzzi. Chitarra in Italian means “guitar.” These square spaghetti, when done by hand, are made with a tool that somewhat resembles a guitar or harp. A thick sheet of pasta is pressed on top of parallel taut wires with a rolling pin, causing the wires to cut the pasta into long square strands. It is made with either egg or flour-and-water pasta. You can buy it in specialty markets.