Conchiglie (), commonly known as "shells" or "seashells", is a

type Type may refer to: Science and technology Computing * Typing, producing text via a keyboard, typewriter, etc. * Data type, collection of values used for computations. * File type * TYPE (DOS command), a command to display contents of a file. * Ty ...

pasta Pasta (, ; ) is a type of food typically made from an unleavened dough of wheat flour mixed with water or eggs, and formed into sheets or other shapes, then cooked by boiling or baking. Rice flour, or legumes such as beans or lentils, are ...

. It is usually sold in the plain durum wheat variety, and also in colored varieties which use natural pigments, such as tomato extract,

squid ink Cephalopod ink is a dark-coloured or luminous ink released into water by most species of cephalopod, usually as an escape mechanism. All cephalopods, with the exception of the Nautilidae and the Cirrina (deep-sea octopuses), are able to releas ...

or spinach extract. The shell shape of the pasta allows the sauce to adhere to it. A miniature variety called ''conchigliette'' is also available.

Etymology

The name derives from the Italian word for

seashell A seashell or sea shell, also known simply as a shell, is a hard, protective outer layer usually created by an animal or organism that lives in the sea. The shell is part of the body of the animal. Empty seashells are often found washe ...

(''conchiglia''). The Italian word ''conchiglie'' and the English word "

conch Conch () is a common name of a number of different medium-to-large-sized sea snails. Conch shells typically have a high spire and a noticeable siphonal canal (in other words, the shell comes to a noticeable point at both ends). In North Am ...

" share the same Greek root in the form of κοχύλι (kochýli), which means "shell".

Other names

In the 1930s, fascism celebrated the

Italian colonial empire The Italian colonial empire ( it, Impero coloniale italiano), known as the Italian Empire (''Impero Italiano'') between 1936 and 1943, began in Africa in the 19th century and comprised the colonies, protectorates, concessions and dependenci ...

with new pasta shapes recalling the African lands:

tripoline Tripoline is a type of ribbon pasta noodles, similar to mafaldine. It is a thick ribbon ridged on one side. In the 1930s, Fascist Italy celebrated its colonial empire by creating new forms of pasta reminiscent of its African possessions: ''t ...

(

Tripoli Tripoli or Tripolis may refer to: Cities and other geographic units Greece *Tripoli, Greece, the capital of Arcadia, Greece *Tripolis (region of Arcadia), a district in ancient Arcadia, Greece * Tripolis (Larisaia), an ancient Greek city in t ...

), bengasine (

Bengasi Benghazi () , ; it, Bengasi; tr, Bingazi; ber, Bernîk, script=Latn; also: ''Bengasi'', ''Benghasi'', ''Banghāzī'', ''Binghāzī'', ''Bengazi''; grc, Βερενίκη ('' Berenice'') and '' Hesperides''., group=note (''lit. Son of he Gha ...

), assabesi (

Assab Assab or Aseb (, ) is a port city in the Southern Red Sea Region of Eritrea. It is situated on the west coast of the Red Sea. Languages spoken in Assab are predominantly Afar, Tigrinya, and Arabic. Assab is known for its large market, beaches ...

), and abissine ( Abissinia). In 2021, after an outcry in objection to pasta brand La Molisana's advertising campaign, abissine were renamed as conchiglie (shells). However, some complained, claiming this re-naming constituted

cancel culture Cancel culture, or rarely also known as call-out culture, is a phrase contemporary to the late 2010s and early 2020s used to refer to a form of ostracism in which someone is thrust out of social or professional circles—whether it be online, o ...

Etymology

Other names

References

See also