The History of Fusilli Pasta

For centuries, fusilli pasta was handmade using a metal reed. It is thought to have originated in the southern parts of Italy such as Naples. Fittingly, the name fusilli comes from the Neapolitan word for “spindle.” Because production was so labor-intensive, limited amounts of fusilli were made, and it quickly became the preferred pasta type among the upper class. In 1924, two Italian immigrants living in New York named Guido and Aurelio Tanzi developed the fusilla, a machine capable of mass-producing fusilli pasta. This made the once-elite pasta shape accessible to all for the first time. It quickly became a favorite because its corkscrew shape made it ideal for gripping hearty tomato sauces and chunky pestos. Today, fusilli remains one of the most popular pasta shapes in the world.