Macaroni

Macaroni is a category of Italian pasta formed into short, hollow tubes. The most familiar shape in many countries is the elbow macaroni, a curved tube about the length of a finger. The plural Italian term maccheroni historically referred to many small pasta shapes; in English, macaroni often implies elbow shapes, but the word can also refer to the dish itself when paired with sauce, particularly cheese sauce.

Macaroni is typically made from durum wheat semolina and water, sometimes with eggs. The dough is extruded through a die to form tubes, and then dried for storage. Some pastas are bronze-cut, which produces a rougher surface that holds sauces better, while others are steel-cut, yielding a smoother finish. Shapes vary by country, including ridged, smooth, short and long varieties.

Macaroni is used in a range of dishes. In Italian cuisine, it is enjoyed with tomato sauce, vegetables, or cheese, and in baked forms such as maccheroni al forno. In American cuisine, macaroni and cheese is a canonical dish, combining cooked elbow pasta with a cheese sauce, sometimes baked with breadcrumbs. It appears in many casseroles and salads internationally.

Uncooked macaroni is mainly carbohydrates from durum wheat; it provides moderate protein and little fat. Enriched varieties may add B vitamins and iron. Because traditional macaroni is made from gluten-containing grains, it is unsuitable for those with celiac disease or gluten intolerance; gluten-free versions use corn, rice, chickpea, or other flours.