What is Penne?
Short ridged tubes cut diagonally at both ends -- the angled cut and hollow center trap chunky sauces and allow sauce to enter the tube from the side during stovetop cooking.
Short ridged tubes cut diagonally at both ends -- the angled cut and hollow center trap chunky sauces and allow sauce to enter the tube from the side during stovetop cooking.
Published by vintagepasta.com — Last updated: 2026-10-08
Classic pairings: Arrabbiata, Puttanesca, Vodka sauce, Pesto
Penne are an extruded type of pasta in the shape of tubular pieces with ends cut at an angle, made from durum wheat semolina, originating from Campania, the region surrounding Naples. The name derives from Italian penna, meaning “feather” or “pen,” as the pasta was designed “to imitate the then-ubiquitous steel nib of fountain and dip pens.” Penne come in two main Italian varieties: smooth (lisce) and ridged (rigate). Mechanical penne production has a documented date: 1865, when Giovanni Battista Capurro, a pasta maker from San Martino d’Albaro near Genoa, patented “a diagonal cutting machine” that “cut the fresh pasta into a pen shape without crushing it,” producing sizes from 3-5 centimeters.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Region | Campania |
| Era | 19th century (1865 invention) |
| Length | 30-50mm |
| Classic sauce | Arrabbiata, Puttanesca, Vodka |
| Cook time | 10-14 min (dried) |
| Variants | Pennoni (wider), Penne lisce (smooth) |
Penne’s geometry is the result of deliberate mechanical innovation. The diagonal cut, which distinguishes penne from straight tubes like rigatoni, allows sauce entry from the tube’s side during stovetop cooking: the angled opening acts as a receptive port, unlike the square-cut ends of rigatoni which concentrate sauce entry at the openings. Before mechanization, “a diagonal cut could only be made by hand with a pair of scissors which, in addition to being slow and time-consuming, also resulted in an irregular cut which flattened the pasta.”
The hollow interior fills with sauce during cooking, delivering concentrated flavor in every bite. Penne are typically cooked al dente and pair particularly well with sauces like pesto, marinara, and arrabbiata due to their tubular shape, which captures sauce effectively. The ridged exterior (penne rigate) grips chunky, oily, or cream-based sauces more effectively than smooth variants. Penne lisce, the smooth version, is less common and works better with thinner, more delicate sauces that don’t require surface friction to adhere.
The diagonal cut also serves an aesthetic function: when penne is plated, the angled openings create visual variety and emphasize the distinctive geometry that sets the shape apart from other tubes.
Penne is believed to have originated in Campania, the region surrounding Naples, where tube-shaped pasta was a culinary tradition before industrial production. The shape spread across Italy during the 19th century as mechanized pasta production expanded.
The mechanized form has a documented date: 1865, when Giovanni Battista Capurro, a pasta maker from San Martino d’Albaro near Genoa, received a patent for his diagonal cutting machine. Before this invention, the angled cut could only be made by hand with scissors — slow, inconsistent, and prone to flattening the pasta. Capurro’s machine resolved this: it produced the clean diagonal cut at scale that defines penne’s geometry. The 1865 patent records mechanization, not invention — penne as a shape predates it in the south.
The etymology reflects penne’s deliberate design: the shape was created to mimic fountain pen nibs, the ubiquitous writing instruments of the era. This naming suggests the inventor’s intent: to create a pasta shape that was recognizably modern and mechanically produced, distinct from traditional hand-formed pasta.
Penne typically cooks in 11-14 minutes when dried. The cooking time reflects the thickness of the tubes and the density of durum wheat semolina. The diagonal cut does not significantly affect cooking time compared to straight tubes of the same diameter.
The typical size ranges from 3 to 5 centimetres (30-50mm) in length, with pennoni (wider variants) being larger and penne piccole being smaller. The variation allows cooks to choose based on sauce type: larger penne suit heartier sauces, while smaller variants work with lighter preparations.
Published by vintagepasta.com.
Last updated: 2026-10-08
Rigatoni is also a ridged tube but with square-cut ends rather than diagonal cuts. Rigatoni’s geometry favors baked dishes while penne’s angled cut suits stovetop sauces.
Mostaccioli is sometimes used as an English name for larger penne variants, particularly in Italian-American cuisine.
Arrabbiata is not a shape but penne’s most iconic sauce pairing — spicy tomato and chili — demonstrating how penne’s geometry perfectly captures concentrated, assertive sauces.
Further reading: Wikipedia article on Penne
Short ridged tubes cut diagonally at both ends -- the angled cut and hollow center trap chunky sauces and allow sauce to enter the tube from the side during stovetop cooking.
Penne is traditionally paired with Arrabbiata, Puttanesca, Vodka sauce, Pesto.
Penne originates from Campania, Italy, documented from the 19th century.