Penne

Penne

Whole wheat penne rigate, uncooked (left) and cooked (right)
Type	Pasta
Place of origin	Italy
Variations	Penne lisce, penne rigate, pennoni, mostaccioli

Penne (Italian pronunciation: [ˈpenːe]) is a type of pasta with cylinder-shaped pieces. Penne is the plural form of the Italian penna, deriving from Latin penna (meaning "feather" or "quill"), and is a cognate of the English word pen.

In Italy, penne are produced in two main variants: "penne lisce" (smooth) and "penne rigate" (furrowed), the latter having ridges on each penna. Pennoni ("big quills") is a wider version of penne.

In the United States, the same or similar shape of pasta, usually slightly larger, is called mostaccioli (meaning "little mustache" in some Italian dialects; it can also be either smooth or ridged in texture).

In the Trenton, New Jersey area, penne pasta is commonly referred to as "pencil points", due to its shape.

Penne is traditionally cooked al dente and served with pasta sauces such as pesto, marinara, or arrabbiata. Penne is a popular ingredient in pasta salads. Penne is a versatile pasta for many applications because of its practical design; the hollow center and ridges allow it to hold sauce, while the angular ends act as scoops.