The Top 2 Pasta Shapes For Ultra Saucy Mac And Cheese

Nothing beats a bowl of perfectly cooked noodles covered in a lush sauce made of milk, butter, and melted cheese. Whether you're making your favorite baked mac and cheese recipe or creating a more classic stovetop variety, there are factors every home chef must consider to create a memorable macaroni and cheese recipe at home. Next to using enough butter and flour to create the ideal roux and selecting the perfect blend of cheeses to match your taste buds, choosing the right pasta shape can make or break your next batch of cheesy noodles. Luckily, social media food influencer and blogger Fabrizio Villapando was able to shine some light on the issue and share his most trusted varieties with Daily Meal.

When it comes to perfectly crafted macaroni and cheese, Villapano only reaches for pasta shapes that can successfully carry considerable amounts of creamy cheese sauce. Forget about elbow macaroni or even corkscrew noodles like cavatappi. To achieve a more equitable ratio of cheese sauce to noodles, Villapano recommends classic shells and chiocciole. Each variety has similar attributes that make them ideal options for extra saucy mac and cheese. Given their rounded exterior and partially enclosed shapes, standard pasta shells and more sophisticated chiocciole trap and hold warm and creamy cheese sauce with ease. While shells are more commonly available in most grocery stores, chiocciole may be more difficult to find. 

Food blogger Fabrizio Villapando, better known as Thee Moody Foody, has garnered a name for himself by sharing witty content and delicious homemade recipes through various social media channels. Next to providing his followers with a delicious Pomodoro recipe and helpful tips for making Mexican-inspired fish and chips, Villapando doesn't mess around when it comes to crafting a deliciously saucy macaroni and cheese recipe.

When deciding between conventional pasta shells and chiocciole, pasta shells (or conchiglie) are generally easy to find in most neighborhood grocery stores. According to Villapando, "Shells are widely accessible and basically act as mini cheese cups for the mouth."

When you want a reliable mac and cheese upgrade, traditional shells get the job done in a flash. Pasta shells have the ability to scoop and hold creamy cheese sauce with each veritable bite.

Moreover, this common noodle variety is almost always available in varying shapes and sizes. Not only are standard-sized shells an option, but if you're feeling a bit daring, you can try making mac and cheese with jumbo shells if you plan on adding extra ingredients like chicken or broccoli. For those serving this popular dish to little ones, smaller shells are also an option at many supermarkets. Conventional pasta shells are a solid option for a trusted pasta variety that is sure to deliver rich and creamy results every time.

If you're looking for more unique pasta shapes to experiment with, consider making your next batch of homemade macaroni and cheese with chiocciole noodles. Chiocciole (or lumache pasta) resembles snail shells from a distance. What makes this variety so unique is the pinched end located on one side of each noodle. There is enough room for cheesy sauce to make its way inside and become trapped by chioccioles' enclosed ends. According to online foodie Fabrizio Villapando, "These little bad boys hold a good amount of sauce within their shape" and can effectively deliver rich and satisfying bites every time.

While similar to shells in overall shape and consistency, chiocciole pasta tends to be more difficult to find in standard supermarkets. Specialty markets may be more apt to carry this variety, or you can purchase chiocciole pasta from major online retailers. Besides chiocciole pasta, you can also check out what your nearest grocery store offers.

If an extra saucy meal is your goal and you want to try different pasta varieties in addition to Villapando's recommendations, stick with partially enclosed varieties. You may see success with ziti, rigatoni, or campanelle, which are flowery, flute-shaped noodles. Yet, for a guaranteed meal that delivers rich cheese in every spoonful, take Villapando's advice and use shells or chiocciole pasta.