In Pasta Form Follows Function or Not Every Pasta Goes with Every Sauce.

The idea that “form follows function” was first used by Louis Sullivan, a leading American architect of the late 19th and early 20th century. Sullivan developed the idea that design should focus on functionality. Meaning that the appearance and structure of a building (or object) should primarily relate to its intended function. Sullivan’s insights and examples later influenced generations of designers and architects including Frank Lloyd Wright who carried this concept a step further. He believed in “functional harmony”, designing buildings that were in agreement with their environment. Later known as organic architecture, it became a guiding principle that has shaped modern design.

As in architecture form follows function when pairing pasta and sauce following the principles of purpose, simplicity and choice of ingredients.

Form, Function and Cookability 

It has been said that pasta is a food that is perfectly designed for a specific culinary purpose, to hold sauce. Not to minimize the taste, texture and aroma of an well-made pasta but the best pasta dishes are a delicate balance between pasta and sauce and not every pasta goes with every sauce. A mindful decision about pairing suitable shapes and sauces can make all the difference to your final dish. In Italy different shapes and sauces are based on local traditions with the time-honored belief that certain pasta shapes are better suited to certain styles of sauce.

Bolognese ragú

Italians would not serve a Bolognese ragú with a thin shaped pasta because the form of the pasta does not pair well with the function of the sauce. Italians might compare pairing the right pasta with the right sauce to a good marriage saying that when the right pasta and sauce are combined, the marriage of flavors, textures, and aromas transcends the sum of its parts.

The certainty of the right pasta + right sauce make cooking Italian one of the most favored cuisines in the world.

What Pasta and What Sauce?

There are hundreds of pasta shapes, from long flat ribbons and tubes, to twists, shells and sheets. The architecture of the pasta interacts with the nature of the sauce in an organic blend that is the essence of Italian cooking. There is a practicality in the many shapes and sizes of pasta. Certain pasta shapes are more suited for pairing with specific sauces due to their structure and texture and how well they hold and distribute the flavors and aroma of the sauce. Thicker sauces require a pasta shape with more texture and surface area than lighter sauces such as olive oil sauces and pesto.

OverCooked, OverSauced, OverWhelmed 

This basic rule of pasta pairing has further gone astray. Even the best made, paired and cooked pasta can not escape this disaster. Run don’t walk from overcooked over-sauced pasta. Impulsively serving pasta by opening a jar of sauce and pouring it on top of overcooked pasta could find you in Dante’s Third Circle of Hell.

Many do this at home but what’s worse is that many American restaurants do the same. A well-made pasta and a well-made sauce need not overwhelm each other. In Italy pasta is served as a primi piatti, a small portion as a light first course designed to satisfy your immediate hunger. Followed by a secondo piatti, or second course, to complete and balance the meal with proteins. This is a wise way to eat that makes good sense when pairing pasta with sauce. A functional way of eating where each course complements the next.

Challenges and Innovation

As in architecture "form follows function" is not without its challenges. Sullivan and Wright were not without their critics and their designs were often misused or misinterpreted. Pasta shape and texture, sauce, overall flavor and eating experience are all open to interpretation. The food industry web cuisine encourages creative reinterpretations of traditional pasta/sauce pairings and although guidelines remain relevant, they are open to interesting innovations like kimchi carbonara and shakshuka with lumache. Both are recipes from Dan Pashman, host of the web-based food podcast Sporkful, that encourages cooks to rethink traditional pasta and sauce pairings, leading him to write a cookbook mixing and matching sauces and pasta in new and unexpected ways.

Using a more traditional approach is the Roman pasta, cacio e pepe. Made with a few simple ingredients: freshly grated young Pecorino Romano cheese, cooked pasta water, freshly ground black pepper and spaghetti pasta, the recipe/technique uses starchy pasta water to emulsify the cheese into a smooth creamy sauce. Served with spaghetti or a spaghetti-like pasta this dish is an example of how the ingredients perfectly combine to complement the texture and flavor of the dish.  

Takeaway

The most important thing to remember when pairing a pasta to a sauce is texture. Taking into account how heavy the sauce is compared to your pasta and making sure the two are balanced. Again, the lighter the sauce, the more delicate the pasta. The heavier the sauce (think of a thick, hearty Bolognese or wild boar ragú) the more substantial the pasta. Just know if you should decide to serve your pasta with the wrong sauce you might be interrupting a classic culinary pairing but then again you might uncover a great food adventure with “limitless pastabilities”.