pasta
Americannoun
-
pastas
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of pasta
1870–75; < Italian < Late Latin. See paste
Explanation
Pasta is any Italian style of noodle, including spaghetti, ziti, and macaroni. Your favorite type of pasta might be fettuccine, especially when it's served in a creamy Alfredo sauce. Pasta refers to the noodle, or to the dish that contains it, like vegetable lasagna or spaghetti carbonara. Most pasta is made from semolina flour and water, and often eggs. The stiff dough is rolled very thin and then cut into shapes or long ribbons. It can be cooked from this soft, fresh state, or (more commonly) dried, packaged, and sold. Pasta is an Italian word (surprise, surprise), from Late Latin, which means "dough or paste."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The central frustration isn’t necessarily that a man can’t find the right box of pasta.
From Salon ● Oct. 25, 2026
Amber Waring, 27, from Devon, says she eats warm meals like stews and pasta bakes, and dances round the kitchen with her toddler while they cook to help keep warm.
From BBC ● Oct. 23, 2026
Fuel prices led farmers and truck drivers to block roads earlier this week in the Puglia, Calabria and Sicily regions, slowing fuel transport and threatening pasta production.
From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026
They also get together on Thursdays for pasta night, where one player acknowledged eating “six to eight” chocolate chip cookies to close out a night of shared love for carbohydrates.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 11, 2026
“Fine. You can have the pasta with peas and cauliflower. We’re taking a bus downtown. It’s suppertime!”
From "The Smartest Kid in the Universe" by Chris Grabenstein
Sides, pastas and desserts tend to be more profitable, with lower ingredient costs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 28, 2025
Its sprawling, old factory and corporate office in Gardena is now churning out protein-fortified pastas for Angelenos who want more bang for their bowls.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2025
Visitors to Puglia, a major producer of durum wheat, can try handmade pastas in a variety of shapes, paired with broccoli rabe, sea urchin and even a horse ragù.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 27, 2025
On his restaurant's board of pastas, he offers cacio e pepe with lime - a variation.
From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2025
“The pastas are usually pretty good here,” he says as the waiter hands them menus.
From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri
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