Type of pasta: Rigatoni

Rigatoni which comes from the word “rigato” meaning ridged, is a hearty, tube shaped pasta with ridges on the outside. The ridges help the pasta get a grip on the chunky sauces, and the large insides allow a good amount of sauce to penetrate inside the tubes.

It is larger than penne and ziti, rigatoni tube’s end does not terminate at an angle like penne. Also, pennes are always straight, whereas rigatoni may have a slight curve. Normally, Rigatoni is made from durum wheat semolina, but nowadays manufacturers offer it made from a variety of grains including whole wheat, kamut, buckwheat, einkorn, etc.

Rigatoni is great for baked pasta dishes, perfect for big chunkier sauces as their ridges and wide center help capture the sauce perfectly. This also helps them contain meats and large vegetables.

Rigatoni should be cooked until just al dente, because the tube structure will collapse if it is cooked until limp, blocking sauce from getting inside.
Type of pasta: Rigatoni