Elbow macaroni

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Elbow macaroni is a term for pasta in the shape of a small tube curved into a semicircular shape. (See also macaroni.) Its name comes from the similarity of its shape to that of a bent elbow. Elbow macaroni is commonly used in macaroni and cheese and other dishes.

Elbow macaroni is produced by extruding dough through a circular die with a pin or disk in the center that forms the tunnel. The geometry of the die forces more dough through one side of the circle than the other, forming the characteristic curve. The images show front and rear views of an elbow macaroni die which extrudes five pieces at once. In this die, more dough is directed to the outside of the circles than the inside, and the extruded macaroni curls inward.