Paccheri

Paccheri are a short, smooth pasta of durum wheat semolina shaped like very wide tubes, typical of Campania. In Neapolitan, pacchero means "slap", so they are also called schiaffoni. At 42–45 mm long and 23–25 mm across, they are among the widest short pasta shapes. ¹²³⁶

Shape and size. Rummo Paccheri n° 111 are 42 mm long and 23 mm across, with 1.55 mm walls. Benedetto Cavalieri n° 40 are 45 mm long and 25 mm across, with 1.70 mm walls. ²⁶ By Campanian tradition paccheri are smooth. Cooked just right, the tube collapses into a double sheet of pasta. ⁴

Where the name comes from. De Cecco derives it from the Neapolitan paccarià, "to slap", and sees a nod to the large, heavy shape. ¹ Garofalo thinks both meanings of the word are probably onomatopoeic. They are linked to the verb pacchiare, "to eat noisily" or "to eat with gusto", which also gave pacchia, "a feast". Tradition says paccheri got their name from the slapping sound they make as they drop into the sauce. ⁴

History. The word pacchero is first recorded as a food in 1816. Within a few decades paccheri became one of the leading shapes of Neapolitan pasta makers, and verses were even written about them. In Raffaele Viviani's comedy Mastro di forgia (1931), the characters joke about the word's double meaning. Paccheri spread to the rest of Italy only in the 1950s and 1960s, and today they are a favourite shape of chefs. ⁴

Food of the poor. Paccheri are large, so a few of them fill a plate and satisfy hunger. That is why they belong to the frugal Neapolitan kitchen. ³ They are loved in other regions too, though there they sometimes go by other names. ¹

How long to cook them. Dry paccheri cook in 13 minutes (Rummo), 16 minutes, or 14 for al dente (De Cecco), or 15–17 minutes (Benedetto Cavalieri). Garofalo's fresh paccheri of semolina, extruded through bronze dies, cook in 5–6 minutes. ¹²³⁶

What to serve them with. Paccheri are usually boiled and dressed: De Cecco suggests thick meat ragùs such as Neapolitan ragù and fish sauces, Rummo seafood, Benedetto Cavalieri fish or pan-fried broccoli. They are also stuffed with ricotta, sausage or ragù and baked, and the boldest option is to fry them, as in fried paccheri all'amatriciana. ¹²⁴⁶

Paccheri and calamarata. Rummo's calamarata is the same tube, 23 mm across with 1.55 mm walls, but only 16 mm long. It looks like squid rings, hence the name, and suits sauces with molluscs, scampi and clams. ²⁵

Why it matters to you. 100 g of dry paccheri has about 355 kcal, 12.5 g of protein, 71.5 g of carbohydrate and 1.5 g of fat. ⁶ Cooking times differ between brands by several minutes, so check the pack, and store the pasta away from heat, light and damp. ¹⁶ The wide tube takes sauce inside, so paccheri suit thick, dense sauces. ¹