A short, tubular pasta, ziti pairs well with all kinds of sauces, but especially those that are thick and chunky. Sauces with texture (pieces of meat, vegetable, or bean) are captured nicely in the crevices of the pasta.
Substitute another short pasta shape, such as penne or rigatoni.
Dried pasta, in an unopened box or sealed container, will last almost indefinitely in the pantry.