Grains & Rice

Paccheri

Large smooth tubes of Neapolitan pasta that cradle chunky meat and seafood sauces.

Paccheri are very large, smooth pasta tubes from Campania in southern Italy. Their wide diameter scoops up rich ragù, seafood, and tomato sauces, and they are often baked or stuffed. Made from durum wheat semolina, they hold their shape and offer a satisfying, slippery bite.

Paccheri are large, smooth tubes of Neapolitan pasta, typically 30–35 mm in diameter and 4–5 cm long, cut on the bias at the ends. What sets them apart from other tube pastas is their substantial wall thickness—these are not delicate noodles but robust cylinders designed to cradle and contain hearty sauces. The name derives from the Neapolitan word pacca, meaning slap or pat, because the tubes make a distinctive sound when stirred in the pot during cooking. Traditionally made from durum wheat semolina and water, then extruded through bronze dies and slow-dried, authentic paccheri have a rough, matte exterior that grips sauce while the hollow interior holds it captive. In Naples and the surrounding Campania region, paccheri are inseparable from slow-cooked ragù, baked pasta al forno, and seafood preparations—these are not everyday weeknight shapes but the pasta of Sunday tables, feast days, and celebratory gatherings where their size and presence command attention. The pasta should feel heavy and dense when held, indicating proper extrusion and low moisture content.

Measured in: g
Storage: Pantry

Allergens

Gluten

Types & varieties

Paccheri lisci

Smooth exterior and interior, standard Neapolitan style for most preparations

Paccheri rigati

Ridged exterior for better sauce grip; less common than smooth version

Paccheri di Gragnano

Produced in Gragnano using traditional bronze-die extrusion and slow drying for superior texture

Paccheri all'uovo

Egg pasta version, richer and softer; preferred for baked dishes

Paccheri integrali

Whole wheat version with nuttier flavor and slightly longer cooking time

Common uses

Baked pasta dishes (pasta al forno) layered with ragù and béchamel, a cornerstone of Neapolitan Sunday cookingNeapolitan ragù—slow-cooked beef, pork, and sometimes sausage—the canonical preparation and the dish that defines paccheriSeafood sauces such as paccheri alla pescatora with shrimp, clams, mussels, and squidSimple garlic, oil, and chili preparations where sauce clings inside the hollow tubesStuffing with ricotta and spinach mixtures for oven-baked servingSausage and broccoli rabe sauces, a Naples-area classic combinationRoasted pepper and pecorino Romano preparationsWhite wine and clam sauces

Tips & pitfalls

Use a large pot with 4–6 quarts of water per 500g—their size means they need room to move and won't stick if properly spaced
Salt the water generously at about 10g per liter before adding pasta; the amount of water demands strong seasoning
Stir occasionally during the first 3–4 minutes to prevent the tubes from clumping and sticking to the pot bottom
Cook 2 minutes less than package directions when finishing in sauce, as carryover cooking continues off heat
Reserve 1 cup of starchy pasta water before draining—the starch is essential for emulsifying and binding sauce to the tubes
When baking paccheri, undercook the pasta slightly since it will continue cooking in the oven during baking
Use a deep baking dish and ensure sauce penetrates between the stacked tubes; individual ramekins work well for portion control
For seafood sauces, parboil paccheri separately because seafood cooks quickly and overcooking ruins both components
Never break paccheri before cooking—their full length is intentional and part of the Neapolitan presentation tradition

Nutrition

No USDA FoodData Central match for Paccheri yet. We surface a per-100 g profile once a generic whole-food entry is matched and verified.

In the shops

Matched grocery products

No matched grocery products for Paccheri yet.

Good to know

Origin: Naples, Campania region, Italy
Primary Shape: Large smooth tube, cut on the bias at ends; 30–35 mm diameter, 4–5 cm long
Wall Thickness: Thick walls to hold hearty sauces without collapsing
Traditional Ingredients: Durum wheat semolina and water; egg pasta versions exist
Dough Type: Extruded through bronze dies for authentic rough texture
Etymology: From Neapolitan pacca, meaning slap or pat—the sound tubes make when stirred during cooking
Cooking Time (al dente): 12–15 minutes, typically 2 minutes less than package directions when finishing in sauce
Shelf Life (dried): 18–24 months stored in cool, dry conditions away from light
Premium Source: Pasta di Gragnano: traditional bronze-die extrusion and slow drying using local durum wheat

Substitutes

Rigatoni — Ridged tubes with good sauce grip but smaller diameter and thinner walls than paccheri
Ziti — Long smooth tubes similar in spirit to paccheri; may need to be broken for some presentations
Calamarata — Large rings made in Naples with the same diameter as paccheri; excellent substitute for both seafood and meat sauces
Mezze maniche — Medium tubes, too small for heavy Neapolitan sauces but workable in a pinch
Penne rigate — Cut on the bias but much smaller; not ideal for chunky sauces that require paccheri's interior volume