Simply put, tubular pasta is a category of pasta shape that is hollow in the middle – they are small tubes. The hollow structure of tubular pasta is what makes it great for Italian dishes – tubular pasta shapes enable sauce to go inside the pasta, as well as coat the outside, giving more flavour in every bite.
Tubular pasta shapes can be smooth or ridged, short or slightly longer, but the defining feature is always the same: a tube-shaped form, with a hollow centre that helps sauce cling beautifully. It’s why it works so well in comforting Italian dishes where flavour matters. Napolina has a whole range of delicious tubular pasta shapes – each one ready to do exactly what Nonna intended – carry plenty of sauce and turn simple ingredients into something special.
· Penne – short tubes cut on a diagonal
· Rigatoni – larger, straight-cut, ridged tubes
· Macaroni – small curved tubes
· Cavatappi – spiral-shaped hollow tubes
How Nonna uses tubular pasta
Nonna treats tubular pasta as her secret weapon. It’s the pasta shape she reaches for when she wants something easy, comforting and properly satisfying – the kind of meal that fills the kitchen with good smells and brings everyone to the table.
Nonna will select her tubular pasta shape – such as penne, rigatoni, macaroni, or cavatappi – depending on how heavy her sauce pairing is, and how much texture she is folding into the dish.
How Nonna chooses tubular pasta
Nonna will go for a tubular pasta shape when she is rustling up chunky tomato sauces, or a rich, slow-cooked ragù such as Lamb Shoulder Rigatoni. Nonna loves tubular pasta like Penne for creamy or cheesy sauces, and Rigatoni in deep-baked pasta dishes, where the sauce can bubble away and really ooze into those lovely hollow pasta tubes during cooking.
The real magic of tubular pasta is how this pasta shape holds onto flavour. Unlike flat or strand-shaped pasta, like Linguine or Spaghetti, tube-shaped pasta doesn’t just get coated in the sauce – it holds sauce inside its structure. This is why Nonna turns to Penne, Rigatoni or Macaroni in a hearty, satisfying dish where you want every mouthful to be full of flavour. Why not learn all about other pasta types and different pasta shapes with Nonna?
Read more of Nonna’s Tips or explore Napolina’s pasta range today.
