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 menu leans into crowd-pleasing seafood and vegetable-forward dishes, but pastas and hearty mains like a pork belly with roasted new potato and pane carasau cannot be missed. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Nov. 2026

To reheat, add a splash of milk to loosen up the pasta, cover with foil, and warm in a preheated 350 F oven until the pasta is warmed through. — ABC News, 4 Nov. 2026

Parmesan, finely grated (about ½ cup), and stir, adding more pasta cooking liquid a splash at a time as needed to keep sauce smooth and shiny, until incorporated; season with salt. — Chris Morocco, Bon Appetit Magazine, 4 Nov. 2026

Fold it into pasta sauce, risotto, mac and cheese, soup or stew. — Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 3 Nov. 2026

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