Which hollow, spaghetti-like pasta takes its name from the Italian word for “hole”? Bucatini is the answer.
Bucatini is a thick, long pasta resembling spaghetti, but with a narrow tunnel running through its center. Its name comes from the Italian word buco, meaning “hole”; related forms such as bucato and the Neapolitan perciato refer to something pierced. Around Naples, the same pasta is also known as perciatelli.
The pasta is especially associated with Lazio and Rome. It is made from durum-wheat flour and water, then extruded through a perforated disk rather than rolled into sheets. The result is a tube typically about 25–30 centimeters long and roughly 3 millimeters wide. The hollow center helps it pair with rich, oily sauces.
Bucatini is often used in bucatini all’amatriciana, traditionally made with tomato, guanciale and pecorino. It is easy to confuse with ziti, but ziti are generally shorter, smooth tubes, while bucatini is long and spaghetti-like.