pasta

noun

pas·​ta ˈpä-stə 

also

ˈpa- 

1

: paste in processed form (such as macaroni) or in the form of fresh dough (such as ravioli)

2

: a dish of cooked pasta

Examples of pasta in a Sentence

They ordered pasta with meat sauce.

Breads and pastas are high in carbohydrates.

Recent Examples on the Web

The book chronicles a wild ride of drugs, hookups, and many movie viewing sessions, often over pasta or fine food. —David Browne, Rolling Stone, 2 Nov. 2025

Toss it with pasta or cooked shrimp for a quick garlic sauce. —Symiah Dorsey, Southern Living, 2 Nov. 2025

Emily Archambault, 29, and her sister-in-law Taylor Martin, 29, in La Porte, Indiana, will be putting out pasta and sauce, peanut butter and jelly, cereal and other foods, along with diapers and wipes on Halloween. —Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 31 Oct. 2025

Two additional deaths have been reported in a listeria outbreak linked to recalled ready-to-eat pasta salads and prepared meals sold at major grocery chains, including Trader Joe’s, Sprouts Farmers Market, Kroger, and Walmart, health officials said Thursday. —Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 31 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Italian, from Late Latin

First Known Use

1827, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing pasta

• angel-hair pasta
• pasta cooker

Rhymes for pasta

• jocasta

Kids Definition

pasta

noun

pas·​ta ˈpäs-tə 

1

: a dough of flour, eggs, and water made in different shapes and dried (as spaghetti or macaroni) or used fresh (as ravioli)

2

: a dish of cooked pasta