Tufoli belong to the short, straight cut, smooth pasta family.
It is not certain where this type of pasta originates from and there are lots of local variations on the name for it: Maniche (sleeves), Gigantoni (giants), Occhi di elefante (elephant's eyes), Elefante (elephant), Canneroni grandi (big canneroni), and Occhi di bove (bull's eye).
The lack of ridges is compensated for by a surprising softness which makes it exceptionally delicate on the palate. It is a delicate and sophisticated pasta which brings out the best in aromas, flavours and fragrance.
It is often used to make oven-baked dishes whereas the condiments recommended for use with this type of pasta are meat ragù, as well as vegetable sauces with mushrooms, artichokes and aubergines.