Capellini

Classic uses: clear broth, butter and lemon, raw tomato and basil Capellini, "little hairs," sold in the United States as angel hair, are the thinnest everyday strands, and they can only carry the lightest sauces. Broth, melted butter with lemon, or chopped raw tomato with olive oil and basil coat them without weighing them down. Anything heavier clumps the fine strands into a sticky mat. They cook in just a few minutes and go soft fast, so have the sauce ready before the pasta goes in, and toss straight away. Treat them as a summer or soup pasta rather than a stand-in for spaghetti.