Rigatoni Durum Pasta

Rigatoni from Filotea, the classic durum wheat tube pasta

Rigatoni from Filotea are smooth, medium-sized tube pasta made from pure durum wheat semolina, bronze-drawn and gently dried. Versatile for ragù, cheese sauce, or as a pasta bake, with a cooking time of 14 to 18 minutes.

Those looking for Rigatoni mean the classic, medium-sized tube pasta with straight, smooth ends, without the ridges of smaller pennette. These Rigatoni from Filotea are made exclusively from durum wheat semolina and water, crafted in the workshop in Ancona, in the Marche region. Within the entire assortment, this shape is considered by many customers to be the benchmark against which other tube shapes must be measured.

Smooth, medium-sized, with a rough surface

Unlike pennette, rigatoni forgo continuous ridges and instead rely on a simple, straight tube with smooth, vertically cut ends. What is missing in texture is compensated for by the rough surface, created by bronze drawing.

Grippy, absorbent, firm – three properties that ensure sauce adheres reliably to this comparatively simple shape, both inside the tube and on the outside. Even thinner sauces that would simply run off smooth pasta stick well to the rough surface instead of ending up at the bottom of the plate.

With a cooking time of 14 to 18 minutes, this pasta takes about as long as the larger calamarata, noticeably longer than short shapes like pennette which take only 6 minutes. Those who test it 2 to 3 minutes before the time is up will find it easier to determine the perfect point for their own taste, because if cooked too soft, the tube quickly loses its structure and falls apart more easily when served.

For ragù, cheese sauce, and pasta bakes

This shape is considered by many to be the all-rounder among tube pastas: a hearty Bolognese ragù, a creamy cheese sauce, or a simple tomato sauce with vegetables all work equally well because the tube offers enough surface area for a wide variety of consistencies. Even a simple butter and sage sauce with shaved Parmesan shows how little is needed when the pasta itself already brings enough texture.

This shape is particularly popular for baking: layered with ragù, béchamel, and plenty of Parmesan and baked in the oven until golden brown, it is a classic for 4 people that is easy to prepare in advance. Those who prefer it spicier can combine the rigatoni with the Sugo al Ragù from Filotea; those who want something more Mediterranean can reach for the Pesto Genovese.

The benchmark of the assortment

Out of the 24 shapes in the Filotea assortment, rigatoni is one of the most unassuming, precisely because it avoids ridges, curves, or any special naming. It is exactly this restraint, says Pietro Giugliarelli, that makes the shape so versatile: it goes with almost every dish without pushing itself into the foreground.

The Marche region, where Filotea has been producing since 2005, is on the Adriatic coast, but the rigatoni shape itself is common throughout Italy and cannot be tied to one specific region. Filotea now supplies over 50 countries, and in most of them, this shape is one of the best-selling varieties, often serving as the first point of contact with the brand before customers explore more unusual formats like calamarata or orecchiette.

Mixed while hot, it won't stick together

Cook for 14 to 18 minutes in plenty of salted water, drain, and mix with the sauce while both are still hot so that it does not stick together. If you would like to discover other tube shapes, you can also find paccheri and calamarata in the Filotea durum wheat pasta collection.