Depending on what type of dish you are cooking, in terms of nationality or flavor, you have a whole range of pasta noodles at your disposal. There are healthy whole wheat noodles available in nearly every cut you can think of, as well as gluten free options for those with wheat allergies and need their pasta fix every once in a while. Pasta still remains one of the easiest things to cook while still creating an extremely satisfying meal (so heads up out there non-cookers): sometimes there's nothing better than a big 'ole bowl of pasta with a thick, seasoned tomato sauce.
Pasta Selection
In terms of Italian cut pastas, you can purchase the old standards such as penne, spaghetti, or linguine, but in this day and age, you have all sorts of distinct flours and sugars to choose from. You can get gluten and wheat free versions of these noodles by checking out soba, quinoa, and rice pastas. You can lower your carb count by buying special kinds of lowfry.