Rigatoni is a type of Italian pasta shaped like short, wide tubes with ridges running along the outside. The ridges serve an important purpose: they help sauce cling to the pasta, so every bite is flavorful. The tube shape also traps sauce inside, which makes rigatoni perfect for thick, chunky sauces with meat or vegetables.

The word comes from the Italian rigato, meaning “ridged” or “lined.” If you run your finger along a piece of rigatoni, you'll feel the grooves that give it its name.

Rigatoni is larger and sturdier than penne, another tube-shaped pasta. Because of its size and strength, rigatoni holds up well in baked dishes like pasta al forno, where it's mixed with sauce and cheese, then baked until bubbly. It's also excellent in hearty meat sauces or thick tomato-based sauces that would slide right off smoother pastas like spaghetti.

When cooking rigatoni, Italians aim for al dente, meaning the pasta is cooked through but still firm when you bite it. Mushy rigatoni loses its satisfying texture and can't hold sauce as well.