The word rigatoni comes from the Italian word 'rigate' which means ridged, grooved or lined. ‘Rigatoncini’ are a smaller version, more similar in size to penne.
Rigatoni are a form of tube-shaped pasta of varying lengths and diameters. They are larger than penne or sedani and sometimes slightly curved. Rigatoni characteristically have ridges down their length, sometimes spiraling around the tube, like elicoidale. And unlike penne, rigatoni's ends are cut square to the tube walls instead of diagonally.
Rigatoni were originally most popular in Lazio, especially Rome.
However, rigatoni also became a particular favorite pasta shape in the south of Italy, especially in Sicily, where it is used in many typical dishes such as pasta ‘alla Norma’.