The History of Gemelli Pasta

Gemelli means “twins” in Italian and is a reference to the way that this pasta shape is made by twisting two hollow strands together or folding one long strand in half and twisting the pieces together. Gemelli pasta hails from southern Puglia, a region in Italy. While it was sometimes hand-made in homes and villages, because this pasta shape was so time-consuming to create, it became far more popular (and affordable!) after pasta production was moved to pasta factories in the 1700s and 1800s. Gemelli pasta, like many other types, was later industrialized further with the use of bronze dies that facilitated much larger production runs. Gemelli is especially well-suited for pasta salad dishes, since its shape helps it retain the perfect al dente bite, and it can cling to a variety of sauces, making it very versatile, though it may be too delicate for extremely heavy sauces such as bolognese. Today, gemelli pasta remains a staple in its native Puglia and continues to grow in popularity all over the world.