As its name derives from "bucato" meaning "pierced," it's a pasta shaped like a tube with a hole in the middle. While it looks very thick from the outside, it cooks faster than expected thanks to the hole. Still, it takes relatively longer compared to other pasta types. Because it's very thick, its texture can feel somewhat different from other pasta, so the key to cooking it is letting the sauce seep through the holes. It pairs particularly well with rich sauces.