Shape: Rigatoni. Sicily’s Timeless Tubular Pasta

When it comes to Sicilian cuisine, few pasta shapes are as deeply ingrained in the island’s culinary identity as maccheroni. These sturdy, hollow tubes have been a kitchen staple for generations, celebrated for their ability to hold sauce, flavor, and tradition all in one bite.

The Origins of Maccheroni (Rigatoni)

Maccheroni isn’t just a pasta shape; it’s a testament to Sicily’s rich history and resourcefulness. References to tubular pasta date back to at least the 13th century, when Sicily was a thriving crossroads of Mediterranean trade. Traders and conquerors — from the Arabs to the Normans — introduced techniques for drying durum wheat pasta, and the hollow, elongated tubes of maccheroni quickly became a household favourite. Its practicality, versatility, and resilience made it ideal for both humble family meals and festive occasions.

In rural Sicilian homes, families would gather around the kitchen table to hand-cut or roll maccheroni from fresh semolina dough. The pasta’s hollow shape was not merely decorative; it allowed sauce to cling inside, infusing every bite with flavor. Over time, maccheroni became synonymous with home cooking, comfort, and celebration.

The Story of Maccheroni

Maccheroni has a special place on Sicilian tables. It can be the centerpiece of a Sunday lunch, served with a slow-cooked ragù, the aroma of simmering meat filling the house. It can elevate a simple weeknight dinner, tossed with ripe tomatoes and freshly grated pecorino. It can even star in festive baked pasta dishes, layered with cheese, sauce, and sometimes vegetables or meats, passed down through family recipes for generations.

In Sicily, maccheroni is more than pasta; it is a culinary canvas. Its simple, tubular form allows bold Sicilian flavours — sweet tomatoes, robust herbs, rich cheeses, and tender meats — to shine. Every dish tells a story: of bustling markets brimming with fresh produce, of kitchens alive with the chatter of family, and of hands shaping dough with care, just as they have for centuries.

Sauce Pairing Suggestions

Maccheroni is incredibly versatile and pairs beautifully with both traditional and modern Sicilian sauces:

• Ragù Siciliano: A slow-cooked meat sauce with tomatoes, onions, and aromatic herbs — perfect for holidays or Sunday feasts.
• Tomato and Pecorino: Simple yet indulgent, highlighting the sweet acidity of tomatoes with the salty sharpness of Sicilian pecorino.
• Creamy Mushroom or Sausage Sauces: Earthy mushrooms or spicy sausages cling beautifully inside the hollow tubes, creating hearty, comforting meals.

Fun Facts

1. Maccheroni has been a Sicilian staple since at least the 13th century, making it one of the island’s oldest pasta shapes.
2. In some Sicilian villages, families still hand-cut maccheroni using traditional techniques, preserving artisanal craftsmanship.
3. Its tubular shape isn’t just practical — it captures sauce perfectly, ensuring every bite is rich and flavorful.
4. Maccheroni is often used in baked pasta dishes (pasta al forno) during celebrations, embodying the warmth, generosity, and communal spirit of Sicilian culture.
5. The word “maccheroni” is believed to derive from the Greek makaria, a type of barley broth served with pasta in ancient times, hinting at Sicily’s long-standing Mediterranean influences.

A Pasta That Tells a Story

Every plate of maccheroni connects you to Sicily’s history, culture, and families. Its enduring popularity isn’t just about flavour — it’s about tradition, craftsmanship, and the joy of sharing food with those you love. Whether drenched in a rich ragù or tossed simply with olive oil and pecorino, maccheroni embodies the soul of Sicilian pasta: humble yet bold, rustic yet refined, and always full of heart.

Maccheroni Beyond Sicily

While maccheroni is deeply tied to Sicilian kitchens, its influence spread far beyond the island. As Sicilians emigrated in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, they carried their recipes, techniques, and traditions with them. In Naples, Bologna, and other Italian regions, maccheroni inspired local pasta varieties, and it became a familiar shape in Italian-American households from New York to Buenos Aires.

But here’s where things get delightfully confusing: “maccheroni” doesn’t always mean the same thing. In Italy, if you ask for maccheroni, chances are you’ll be handed a plate of something that looks suspiciously like rigatoni—those short, ridged tubes perfect for clinging to a rich ragù. In fact, in much of southern Italy, the word maccheroni became a kind of catch-all for tubular pastas, whether smooth, ridged, long, or stubby.

Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, Italian immigrants introduced the word to English-speaking palates, and it quickly stuck. But in the U.S., “macaroni” shrank in size—literally. It came to mean the small, elbow-shaped tubes that are the backbone of that ultimate comfort food: macaroni and cheese. Somehow, a pasta once associated with Sicilian feasts of swordfish and eggplant transformed into the star of creamy casseroles, boxed dinners, and college survival kits.

And it doesn’t stop there. In Britain, “macaroni” often calls to mind not only the pasta but also the quirky 18th-century “Macaroni Club” dandies—fashionable young men whose love of all things Italian made the word a synonym for being outrageously stylish. Who knew a humble pasta could strut so much historical flair?

So today we have a fun pasta identity crisis:

• In Italy: maccheroni = rigatoni (ish).
• In America: macaroni = elbows (and always lurking in a cheesy casserole).
• Everywhere else: macaroni = “something pasta-shaped, we’ll figure it out.”

In modern cuisine, maccheroni continues to evolve. Chefs experiment with wholegrain or gluten-free versions, infuse sauces with global spices, or bake it into inventive casseroles. Yet no matter where it’s served, the essence of maccheroni remains unmistakably Sicilian: hearty, versatile, and a vessel for bold flavours and shared meals.

It’s a pasta that connects past and present, linking ancient Sicilian tables with kitchens worldwide, and reminding us that food is both tradition and adaptation. Every bite of maccheroni carries a story—of families, migrations, and centuries of culinary craft.