Chifferi

This manufactured durum wheat semolina pasta is in the shape of a curved tube about 3-4 cm (1¼-1½ inches) in length and looks like an elbow. It probably gets its name from the Austrian bread or biscuit called a Kipferl, which is curved into a croissant-like shape. There is a smaller version of this shape called mezzi gomiti (half elbows) as well as the similarly shaped gobboni (with a hump), stortoni (curved) and gozzettoni. All these varieties come with both smooth (lisci) and fluted (rigati) surfaces. In northern and central Italy this pasta is used in soups like minestrone while rigatoni, the comparable version of chifferi used in the south, are served with sauces.