Shape: Paccheri – The Pasta That Slaps (Literally)
If pasta had a diva, it would be paccheri. Bold, dramatic, unapologetically oversized tubes that don’t just sit politely on your plate — they announce themselves. Paccheri don’t whisper; they slap. And that’s not just a metaphor. Their name comes from the Neapolitan dialect word pacca, meaning “a slap.” Why? Because when you bite into one, or when they tumble around in the pot, they make this satisfyingly hollow “smack” sound. Pasta with built-in sound effects — who could resist?
A History in Tubes
Paccheri aren’t just a visual gag; they’ve got heritage. Born in Naples and Campania, they were traditionally prized for holding onto heavy, meaty ragùs — the kind that needed something more substantial than flimsy spaghetti. And there’s even a cheeky legend: apparently, paccheri were used to smuggle garlic cloves into Austria when imports were banned. Stuff the cloves inside the hollow tubes, carry them across the border, and voilà — black market pasta mules.
Why Chefs Love Them
They’re a dream for stuffed pasta fans. You can fill paccheri with ricotta, spinach, ragù, or seafood, stand them upright in a baking dish, and bake them into a bubbling architectural wonder. Or toss them simply with tomato sauce — each bite is a mini explosion of flavor. Basically, paccheri are pasta skyscrapers: tall, solid, and begging to be filled.
Fun Fact Bite-Sized
- Paccheri were sometimes called schiaffoni (“big slaps”). Because “pasta that slaps you” is somehow even more Neapolitan.
- Stuffed paccheri baked upright are often nicknamed paccheri bomba. And yes, they do explode in your mouth.
- In traditional ragù, paccheri were a way to show off wealth: the bigger the pasta, the bigger the feast.
