Rigatonis

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of tube-shaped pasta with ridges running along its length, commonly used in baked dishes or with thick sauces to hold flavor
2. Pasta cut into short, tubular segments featuring ribbed surfaces designed to trap sauce and offer a chewy texture when cooked
3. Cylindrical pasta characterized by its ridged exterior, often paired with hearty sauces or incorporated into casseroles for enhanced taste and consistency

Etymology: "Rigatonis" is simply the plural of "rigatoni," the form used when referring to more than one piece of the pasta. The singular comes from Italian, where "rigatoni" is an augmented form of "rigato," meaning "striped" or "ridged." The augmentative ending "-oni" makes the word signal something larger, so the name describes a bigger, grooved version of the tube-shaped pasta. The root "rigato" is the past participle of "rigare," a verb meaning to draw lines or stripe something. The ridges that give the pasta its name are what the word was built around, and the pasta is named for its surface rather than its shape alone.

Synonyms: pasta, tubular pasta, Italian pasta, dried pasta, penne