''Ditalini'' (; English: "small thimbles"), also referred to as ''tubettini'', is a type of

pasta Pasta (, ; ) is a type of food typically made from an Leavening agent, unleavened dough of wheat flour mixed with water or Eggs as food, eggs, and formed into sheets or other shapes, then cooked by boiling or baking. Pasta was originally on ...

that is shaped like small tubes. It has been described as "thimble-sized" and as "very short macaroni". In some areas it is also called "salad macaroni". During the

industrial age The Industrial Age is a period of history that encompasses the changes in economic and social organization that began around 1760 in Great Britain and later in other countries, characterized chiefly by the replacement of hand tools with power-d ...

Apulia Apulia ( ), also known by its Italian language, Italian name Puglia (), is a Regions of Italy, region of Italy, located in the Southern Italy, southern peninsular section of the country, bordering the Adriatic Sea to the east, the Strait of Ot ...

, Italy, increased development of ''ditalini'' and other short-cut kinds of pasta occurred. In contemporary times, it is a mass-produced pasta. It is used in several dishes and is commonly used throughout

Sicily Sicily (Italian language, Italian and ), officially the Sicilian Region (), is an island in the central Mediterranean Sea, south of the Italian Peninsula in continental Europe and is one of the 20 regions of Italy, regions of Italy. With 4. ...

Use in dishes

''Ditalini'' may be used in several pasta dishes, such as ''

pasta e fagioli ''Pasta e fagioli'' (; ; ) is an Italian pasta soup of which there are several regional variants. It is often called pasta fasul or pasta fazool in the New York Italian dialect, derived from its Neapolitan name, ''pasta e fasul''. Preparati ...

'' (pasta and beans). It is used in traditional Sicilian dishes throughout Sicily. Some Sicilian dishes with ''ditalini'' include pasta with ricotta cheese and ''

pasta chi vrocculi arriminati is a pasta dish originating in the Palermo area of Sicily. It generally consists of a long pasta such as spaghetti or bucatini, cauliflower, onion, raisins, anchovies, pine nuts, saffron, red chili, and breadcrumbs. Traditionally, it was made wit ...

'', which is a pasta and broccoli dish. It has been described as used often in soups, and as an ideal pasta for use in soups due to their small size being able to "fit well on a spoon". It may also be used in

pasta salad Pasta salad, known in Italian as or , is a dish prepared with one or more types of pasta, almost always chilled or room temperature, and most often tossed in a vinegar, Cooking oil, oil or mayonnaise-based dressing. It is typically served as a ...

s. File:Ditalini pesto appetizer.jpg, A small

appetizer An hors d'oeuvre ( ; ), appetiser, appetizer or starter is a small dish served before a meal in European cuisine. Some hors d'oeuvres are served cold, others hot. Hors d'oeuvres may be served at the dinner table as a part of the meal, or th ...

of ''ditalini'' with

pesto Pesto (), also known as ''pesto alla genovese'' () or ''pesto genovese'', is an Italian paste made with basil leaves, crushed garlic, pine nuts, olive oil, salt, and grated hard cheese such as Parmesan or '' pecorino sardo''. It originated ...

File:Beef and barley soup with tomatoes and ditalini pasta.jpg, Beef and

barley Barley (), a member of the grass family, is a major cereal grain grown in temperate climates globally. It was one of the first cultivated grains; it was domesticated in the Fertile Crescent around 9000 BC, giving it nonshattering spikele ...

soup with tomatoes and ''ditalini'' File:Pasta e fagioli rapida.jpg, ''

Pasta e fagioli ''Pasta e fagioli'' (; ; ) is an Italian pasta soup of which there are several regional variants. It is often called pasta fasul or pasta fazool in the New York Italian dialect, derived from its Neapolitan name, ''pasta e fasul''. Preparati ...

'' prepared with ''ditalini''

References

{{Pasta Types of pasta

Use in dishes

See also

References