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Pasta is often the overlooked base of many recipes. Because people are accustomed to the relatively flavorless store-bought pastas, many feel that one pasta is as good as the next but that simply isn't true! If you enjoy quality, gourmet cooking, do yourself a favor and learn to make your own pasta. Buy a pasta machine and experiment a little.

(There is another use for pasta machines, too. My mother used to make breakfast cereal with her pasta maker: She worked out a cereal dough recipe, cranked it through the pasta maker, sliced it up and dried it. It was quite delicious!)

If you are forced to purchase pasta, try to purchase the ones with higher nutritional values. Almost every supermarket carries pastas enriched with spinach or soy, which are far better choices than the standard ones.

Here is a guide to the different types and uses of pasta:

ACOMO PEPE: These words are Italian for "peppercorns". They're tiny little beads that are a wonderful substitute for rice as either a sidedish or added in soups and stews. To make a quick sidedish, saute some chopped vegetables and/or diced nuts, throw in the cooked acomo pepe, toss, and serve.

ANGEL HAIR PASTA a.k.a. Capelli D'angelo: This is my personal favorite. It's a very fine pasta that almost melts in your mouth. It easily sucks up sauces and flavors, and thus it's a better delivery system for most recipes. Be careful, however: They're easy to overcook.

BUTTERFLY or BOWTIE PASTA a.k.a. Farfalle: These little bowtie-shaped pastas add interest to cold salads and are very popular. If they're made in the Italian tradition, they're egg-free (which is good to know if someone is vegan or on an egg-free diet). Check the label to make sure of the ingredients.

CANNELLONI a.k.a MANICOTTI: These are long tubes of pasta. They're often stuffed with a cheese or meat mixture and baked with sauce.

CAPELLI D'ANGELO: See Angel Hair Pasta.

CAPELLINI: This is a pasta only slightly thicker around than angel hair pasta. It's not as easy to find.

CAVATAPPI: See Spirals.

CONCHIGLIE: See Shells.

FARFALLE: See Butterfly Pasta.

FETTUCINE: This pasta has been popularized in the famous dish "Fettucine Alfredo". These ribbons of pasta are more fool-proof than angel hair pasta, and they have a nice, solid texture.

FUSILLI: A classic screw-shaped pasta, fusilli is very popular in the U.S.A. It's another good pasta for delivering a lot of sauce. However, because the shape is seen everywhere, many cooks prefer spirals (a.k.a. cavatappi) or gemelli for showing

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