A Pasta That Looks Like A Straw
I thought I had heard about most pasta types, but this perciatelli pasta was a new one to me. I’m still determining how it ended up in our pantry, except I must have grabbed it when purchasing a bunch of what I thought were boxes of spaghetti.
We served the pasta as a side dish for something I made and gave it to the girls with butter, peas, and freshly grated Parmesan cheese for dinner. When the girls started twirling in their mouths and sucking up the end of the strands, they noticed a whole running the length of the pasta.
When they told me the pasta had a hole in it, I played along and said, “Yeah, right. Why don’t you use it like a straw and drink some of your milk?”
Sure enough, they did, so I checked it out myself, and the pasta had a tiny hole running through the middle of it. So the perciatelli noodle, pronounced “pear-chuh-TELL-lee” and sometimes called bucatini, looks just like spaghetti but only fatter and with a tiny hole.
Great for serving with hearty meat sauces like Bolognese because of its thicker texture, but it also works well in classic Italian soups like Minestrone. And I can say from experience it is excellent with just butter and grated cheese, although be prepared to watch your kids “play” with their food. You may find yourself playing with it yourself.
Perciatelli Pasta
Perciatelli, also known as bucatini, is a unique pasta from Italy. Characterized by its thick, tubular shape, perciatelli is notable for having a hollow center, which sets it apart from other spaghetti-like pasta. This distinctive form allows it to effectively hold sauces, making it a versatile and favored choice in various Italian dishes.
“Perciatelli” originates from the Italian word “perciato,” which means pierced, referring to its hollow structure. The pasta is traditionally made from durum wheat semolina, which gives it a robust texture and a firm bite even after cooking. This resilience is essential for holding up to hearty sauces and ingredients.
Perciatelli is especially popular in Roman cuisine. One of the most famous dishes utilizing this pasta is Bucatini all’Amatriciana. This classic recipe combines perciatelli with a savory sauce from guanciale (cured pork cheek), tomatoes, Pecorino Romano cheese, and a touch of chili pepper for heat. The hollow center of the pasta allows it to soak up the rich, flavorful sauce, enhancing every bite.
Another popular dish featuring perciatelli is Bucatini alla Carbonara, where the pasta is coated in a creamy mixture of eggs, cheese, pancetta, and black pepper. The hollow tubes ensure that the creamy sauce clings to the exterior and interior, providing a satisfying, well-coated mouthful with each forkful.
Perciatelli’s versatility extends beyond these traditional dishes. It pairs well with various sauces, from simple garlic and olive oil to more complex seafood or vegetable-based sauces. Its ability to capture and retain sauce makes it an excellent choice for creating rich, comforting meals.
Perciatelli pasta’s unique shape and texture and ability to hold sauces effectively make it a beloved ingredient in Italian cuisine, celebrated for its adaptability and robust culinary presence.
How to Cook Pasta
Everyone knows how to cook pasta, but there are a few hints and tips that will make you even better.
Check out my Pasta Tips page for some helpful hints. And for a listing of some of my favorite pasta recipes, check out my Pasta Recipes page.
Where to Buy It
You’re likely not going to find this pasta at your local supermarket but will have to look for it at a special market or Italian grocer. I found mine by accident, so I can’t even tell you where I purchased it, but I’m sure you can find it online too. If you have a recipe for perciatelli, you can try substituting linguini or fettuccine, but what fun would that be?
20 Responses
I’m going to get my hands on some of this pasta. It’ll surely surprise my diners.
I had this at an Italian Eatery, The Spaghetti Tree, in Mt. Pleasant Michigan years ago. They used as straws and had this pasta available for purchase. I bought it for my kids and they loved it.
I ate perciatelli at the home of an Italian friend when I was a kid. It was delicious. I hope I can find some perciatelli in the little burgh I now call home. Thanks for taking this guy back to simpler times, and for giving a name to the spaghetti with the hole in it.
i bought some the other day and thought — this looks a lot like Bucatini! Turns out the are the same thing!!
That’s right. Just different names for the same type of pasta. If you can’t find either of them for this recipe, you can substitute spaghetti or linguine. Thanks for posting. – RG
They are not the same thing – Bucatini has edges on the perimeter, while perciatelli is round. Perciatelli Is best with a “wet, thinner” sauce (According to our matriarch Carmela circa 1950 🙂 It’s worked for us since then – enjoy!
Thanks for that update Bob.
We use this pasta in a dish we call Macaroni Cake. It can be eaten warm and it is great cold. Has great ingredients in also. This is an Italian Dish.
Pat,
I was looking for a substitute for the perciatelli I can’t find to make macaroni cake. Everyone I told about it thought I was making up the name. Thank you for confirming my sanity albeit 4 years after your post!
My friend was telling me about this long spagetti with a whole that runs in the center of the pasta. She uses this pasta for her Mid West Macaroni & Cheese. I have never heard of this pasta and I enjoy a challenge. So went to various grocery stores in the Houston Area—Whole Foods on Kirby Avenue has the pasta by DeCecco it is called Perciatelli No. 15. I even checked out Rao’s Restaurant of NYC website and they did not carry this variety of pasta. Now that you have the manufacturer I am certain your grocery store manager will obtain it for you.
Hi Mary, thanks for the info. There are many other brands out there,Rustichella comes to mind, who make Perciatelli but DeCecco is a good one. – RG
My mother in law has been making this pasta forever. She cooks it with broccoli and tops it with Locatelli romano cheese and olive oil. My kids love it and still ask for “grandma’s broccoli-pasta”. Yum!
Hi Maureen, thank you for your comments. Be sure to teach your kids how to make this when they are ready. – RG
I found Perciatelli by Severino @ Whole Foods last week. They had it displayed i a special basket of artisanal pastas near the cheese display, not in the pasta aisle. But what one Whole Foods carries, the next oe does not. Good luck and good eating ala Italiano.
Must have picked it up thinking it was
spaghetti . Had no idea what it was intil seeing your “blog”. I had heard about the pasta with a hole in it.
I just had this pasta with a lemoncello, butter sauce. It was so good and so much fun. The flavor of the light sauce went through the hole in the pasta and yes, it was really fun to eat. I was sucking the end of a strand into my mouth when I realized there was a hole in it. It’s on my grocery list. I was told that it was available at Stater Bros.
Heard of Bucatini on Food Network. Spent the better part of a year looking for it in my Seattle neighborhood, to no avail. Today I spotted something I’d not seen before, and with a little inspection I found it had a hole. I bought it, gleefully, as an alternative to the elusive bucatini. Now that I’ve researched it, I learn it IS IN FACT bucatini, by it’s alternative name – perciatelli. I’m thrilled to finally have it, and can’t wait to make a great sauce to pair with it.
We were served the thick pasta, and very good sauce made in the cafeteria when in High School. Very fond memories.
can I substitute trofie pasta as I can not locate perciatelli?
I guess you could, but you can also substitute regular spaghetti pasta too and that’s easy to find. – RG
My significant other tells the story if a restaurant he went to as a child. The drinking straws were pasta. I’m looking into bucatini, but need to know- is it safe to drink from? (I grew up being told “no raw pasta, no raw potatoes “… so I’m curious thanks so much in advance!
Great question Trish and fantastic story. I am not a food nutritionist so I cannot give you an answer about using bucatini as a straw.
Perciatelli is a staple in our Italian home and believe it or not we get the Colavita brand in our local Price Rite store for only 99 cents! I buy it every time I’m in the store even if I don’t need it because I don’t want them to drop it!
My mother-in-law taught me how to make a delicious hearty side dish or “primi” that everyone loves and that is easy and fast! While boiling the perciatelli, remove some of the hot water (I save about a cup) and set aside. When pasta is done “al dente” or “to the tooth” (NOT mushy!) drain, place back in pan and add about half a 32 ounce container of whole milk ricotta cheese. Add salt to taste and lots of fresh ground pepper, and to start, about half of the hot water. Mix well with a large fork and spoon, adding more water as needed so that the pasta looks “smooth.” If it dries out you can always add more hot water. This easy dish can be served as is or with marinara sauce- mangia!
I love this pasta! Living in a rural area it is impossible to find. I order it directly from Nutsdotcom.
Bon Appetit.