pasta

American  

[pah-stuh, pas-tuh] / ˈpɑ stə, ˈpæs tə /

noun

1. any of various flour-and-egg food preparations of Italian origin, made of thin, unleavened dough and produced in a variety of forms, usually served with a sauce and sometimes stuffed.

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pasta British  

/ ˈpæstə /

noun

1. any of several variously shaped edible preparations made from a flour and water dough, such as spaghetti

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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

The post about the Lobito Corridor appeared on news website Lil Pasta News a day later.

From BBC • Mar. 23, 2026

Lil Pasta News told the BBC that the articles in question were not written by its team but received through an intermediary.

From BBC • Mar. 23, 2026

Others, including the parent of Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza & Wings and Bertucci’s Brick Oven Pizza & Pasta, earlier filed for bankruptcy.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 5, 2026

Pasta that insists on its crispy topping of breadcrumbs or frico or toasted nuts.

From Salon • Oct. 23, 2025

Pasta bowls, bread plates, glasses, two forks, two spoons, and a butter knife.

From "A Bird Will Soar" by Alison Green Myers

Related Words

• gnocchi
• linguine
• macaroni
• ravioli
• spaghetti
• tortellini