• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

The Pasta Project logo

  • Recipe Index
  • Italy’s Regions
    • Abruzzo
    • Aosta Valley (Valle d’Aosta or Val d’Aosta)
    • Basilicata
    • Campania
    • Calabria
    • Emilia-Romagna
    • Friuli Venezia Giulia
    • Lazio (Latium)
    • Liguria
    • Lombardy
    • Le Marche Region; the next Tuscany
    • Molise, Italy’s second smallest region.
    • Piedmont-Piemonte
    • Puglia
    • Sardinia
    • Sicily, the food and the pasta!
    • Trentino-Alto Adige (South Tyrol)
    • Tuscany (Toscana) the Food and Pasta.
    • Umbria, the green heart of Italy
    • Veneto
  • Pasta and recipes by region
    • Abruzzo
    • Aosta Valley (Valle d’Aosta)
    • Basilicata
    • Calabria
    • Campania
    • Emilia-Romagna
    • Friuli Venezia Giulia
    • Lazio (Latium)
    • Liguria
    • Lombardy
    • Le Marche (Marche region)
    • Molise
    • Piedmont-Piemonte
    • Puglia
    • Sardinia
    • Sicily
    • Trentino-Alto Adige/South Tyrol
    • Tuscany-Toscana
    • Umbria
    • Veneto
  • Pasta Types
    • Anelli or Anelletti pasta rings.
    • Bigoli Pasta from Veneto
    • Biricci pasta
    • Bucatini; the spaghetti with a hole!
    • Busiate
    • Caccavelle Giant Pasta Shells from Gragnano, Naples.
    • Calamarata pasta from Southern Italy.
    • Candele: Pasta candles
    • Cannelloni or Manicotti
    • Casarecce pasta from Sicily.
    • Cavatelli Pasta from Southern Italy
    • Conchiglie, Conchigliette, Conchiglioni.
    • Corzetti or Croxetti Pasta from Liguria.
    • Dischi Volanti Pasta (Messicani)
    • Ditaloni, Ditali, Ditalini
    • Elicoidali
    • Farfalle pasta: Butterflies and Bow Ties
    • Fettuccine pasta (lisce e rigati)
    • Fileja pasta from Calabria
    • Fresine pasta from Gragnano
    • Fusilli Pasta; long, short, homemade and hollow.
      • Fusilli Bucati Corti (short hollow fusilli)
    • Garganelli pasta from Romagna (Emilia-Romagna)
    • Gargati Pasta from Veneto.
    • Gigli or Campanelle pasta
    • Gomiti Elbow Pasta, a pasta with many names
    • Italian Gnocchi; Potato gnocchi and family
      • Canederli: Italian Bread Dumplings from South Tirol
    • Gramigna: Pasta from Emilia-Romagna.
    • Grattoni-grattini (pasta for soup)
    • Intrecci pasta.
    • Lagane pasta from Southern Italy
    • Lasagne or lasagna.
    • Linguine pasta from Liguria
    • Lombrichelli, hand rolled pasta from Lazio
    • Lorighittas Pasta from Sardinia
    • Lumaconi (snail shell pasta)
    • Maccheroncini di Campofilone from Le Marche
    • Mafaldine (mafalda or reginette)
    • Malloreddus (Sardinian Gnocchi)
    • Maltagliati Pasta
    • Mezze Maniche Pasta (half-sleeves)
    • Occhi di Lupo (wolf’s eyes) Pasta
    • Orecchiette pasta
    • Paccheri
    • Pappardelle pasta from Tuscany
    • Passatelli Pasta from Emilia-Romagna
    • Penne
    • Pici pasta from Tuscany
    • Pizzoccheri (buckwheat pasta)
    • Radiatori (radiator shaped pasta)
    • Rigatoni, pasta with ridges.
    • Sagne Pasta from Abruzzo, Molise and Lazio.
    • Sardinian Fregola (fregula sarda)
    • Scialatielli pasta from Amalfi
    • Sedani rigati
    • Spaccatelle pasta from Sicily
    • Spaghetti
    • Spaghetti/Maccheroni alla Chitarra from Abruzzo
    • Strozzapreti
    • Tagliatelle
    • Tagliolini
    • Torchio Pasta (Maccheroni al Torchio)
    • Tortelli and Ravioli
      • Cjarsons ravioli from Friuli Venezia Giulia.
    • Trescatori Pasta from Abruzzo
    • Trofie pasta from Liguria
    • Tuscan Gnudi (ricotta and spinach gnocchi)
    • Vermicelli
    • Vesuvio pasta from Campania; shaped like a volcano!
    • Ziti and Zitoni Pasta
  • Pasta Recipes
    • Baked Pasta Recipes
    • Pasta with Poultry and Game
    • Pasta Salads and in Soups
    • Vegetarian Pasta dishes
    • Seafood & Lake Fish Pasta
    • Meat Pasta Dishes
    • Pesto and other pasta sauces
      • Alla Mediterranea (Mediterranean sauce and celebrations!)
      • Beetroot and Radicchio Pesto
      • Busiate with radicchio pesto
      • Busiate pasta with Trapanese pesto from Trapani
      • Casarecce with pumpkin and orange pesto
      • Roasted Red Pepper Pesto with Casarecce Pasta
      • Fusilli pasta with black olive pesto and tuna.
      • Long Fusilli Pasta with Pesto Calabrese
      • Matcha Pesto for Pasta
      • Pappardelle pasta with walnut sauce and black truffle shavings
      • Pesto Pasta Liguria with Potatoes and Green Beans
      • Pasta with pistachio pesto
      • Trofie Pasta with Rocket Pesto Recipe
      • Tuscan pici pasta all’etrusca with asparagus
    • Special & Favourite Pasta Recipes
      • Baked Pasta Roses
      • Cinnamon Butter Gnocchi: Recipe from Veneto
      • Gnocchi alla Romana
      • Lasagna bianca with mushrooms and burrata
      • Spaghetti al Limone with Ricotta, Basil and Lemon
      • Spaghetti/Maccheroni alla Chitarra with 4 meat ragu Abruzzese
      • Stuffed Lumaconi (Lumache) snail shell pasta
      • Pasta with Nduja
      • Pasta al forno (pasta bake the Italian way)
      • Ricotta Gnudi with Black Truffle.
      • Tagliolini with Taleggio and Black Truffle
  • Restaurants and Pasta Companies
    • Agriturismo Il Romitorio, Tuscania, Lazio
    • Restaurant Dei Cantoni, Longiano, Emilia-Romagna
    • Pasta Mancini: Pasta From Field to Fork.
    • The Best Italian Pasta Ever: Pastificio dei Campi
    • Organic Pasta Makers Girolomoni.
  • SHOP OUR ARTICLES
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipe Index
  • Italy’s Regions
  • Pasta and recipes by region
  • Pasta Types
  • Pasta Recipes
  • Restaurants and Pasta Companies
×

Home » Pasta Types » Dischi Volanti Pasta (Messicani)

May 6, 2020

Dischi Volanti Pasta (Messicani)

Dischi volanti pasta from Tuscany.

Known almost exclusively as dischi volanti here in Italy, this pasta shape is also sold abroad as just volanti or messicani pasta (I guess because of the shape’s similarity to Mexican hats) or bonetti (meaning bonnets).

dischi volanti pasta

A little dischi volanti pasta history.

The invention of dischi volanti pasta dates back to the late 1940s-mid 1950s. So, this is quite a modern pasta shape. The words ‘dischi volanti’ literally translate to ‘flying discs’, which is the Italian way to say flying saucers. Obviously, the name relates to the pasta’s characteristic flying saucer shape.

UFO sightings in Italy inspired the creation of this pasta!

There are two ‘flying saucer’ origin theories for dischi volanti pasta. First, I read that this pasta shape was inspired by the first UFO sightings in the USA back in 1947. However, according to pasta makers Pastificio Fabbri, producers of dischi volanti since 1955, it was a sighting of UFOs in Italy that inspired this pasta’s creation. 

Dried dischi volanti pasta (messicani pasta)

The day UFOs stopped a football match.

On 27th October 1954, UFOs were sighted over Florence. They were seen in a number of places including from the city’s Stadio Artemi Franchi football stadium. The local Fiorentina club was playing against rivals Pistoiese. Just after half-time, the spectators started pointing at the sky instead of watching the match. Play stopped as people watched what appeared to be globes or flying saucers pass over the stadium! You can read more about this incident in this article in the BBC online News Magazine from 2014.

In 1955, apparently inspired by the above event, bronze die maker Garibaldo Ricciarelli from Pistoia designed a bronze die to make dischi volanti. The above mentioned pasta company, Pastificio Fabbri, have been using one of those bronze dies to make dischi volante pasta ever since.

dischi volanti pasta from Benedetto Cavalieri

What are bronze dies?

Bronze dies are basically molds made of bronze which are attached to the end of commercial pasta making machines. The pasta dough is extruded (pushed) through the mold which shapes it. Italian pasta makers have been using bronze dies for centuries. Nowadays, some big companies use Teflon dies instead. But, artisan pasta makers still prefer using bronze. They say the quality of the pasta is better.

bronze die for making pasta
Bronze pasta die (this one is for ruote pasta)

On the whole, dischi volanti pasta isn’t produced by many pasta makers in Italy. I got given some when I visited pasta makers Benedetto Cavalieri in Puglia. And, I used theirs to make this dischi volanti with prosciutto ragu recipe, my first recipe with this pasta. However, I’ve seen that Garofalo make this flying saucer pasta shape, but they call it ‘cappelletti’, meaning little hats. Although, ‘cappelletti’ is usually the name for a filled pasta shape from Emilia-Romagna.

Dischi volanti (messicani) with prosciutto ragu
with prosciutto ragu

Dischi volanti (messicani) pasta recipes.

This pasta shape is great for pasta salads and thick chunky meat sauces. However, I have found other types of recipes on Italian sites for dischi volanti pasta. These include with tomato sauce, veggies such as mushrooms or radicchio and with seafood. So, a very versatile pasta to try if you haven’t already.

Other pasta types from Tuscany.

  1. Gigli (Campanelle) pasta
  2. Pici pasta from Tuscany
  3. Tuscan gnudi

Pin for later.

dischi volanti (messicani) pasta

Want to know more about my life in Italy? Go to the homepage and subscribe to my newsletter. New subscribers get a free recipe e-book too! https://www.the-pasta-project.com

Dischi Volanti Pasta - Italian Pasta Types

Filed Under: Dischi Volanti (Messicani), Pasta Types, Tuscany-Toscana Tagged With: dischi volanti, dried pasta, messicani, Tuscany

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Richard Slaver says

    August 05, 2021 at 7:11 am

    I can’t find it anywhere!

    Reply
  2. yi says

    March 28, 2021 at 9:28 pm

    I had this pasta shape in Castiglione Fiorentino several years ago but they called it l’ombelico (belly buttons!). I later researched it and saw it is actually called dischi volanti. I am obsessed and don’t know where to get it in the states. 🙁

    Reply
    • Jacqui says

      March 29, 2021 at 10:28 am

      Hi Yi, thanks for your comment. Unfortunately I don’t know where you can buy this pasta in USA. What you could do is contact a couple of Italian pasta companies who make it and ask if they export it to US and who sells their pasta there. Among the companies that make it and I think sell some pasta in US are Garofalo, Benedetto Cavalieri and pasta Fabbri. Also Felicetti make it for M&S brand in UK. Sometimes this pasta shape is sold as flying saucers or messicani. Hope you find it!

      Reply
  3. Kristine Bagasin says

    October 11, 2020 at 7:22 am

    Had this for months from a Philippine Marks&Spencer, out of curiosity. It was opened before be another and need to finish it soon. Thank you for this helpful information, and useful recipe ideas. Keep up the good work. Take care & God bless!

    Reply
  4. Ghulam Mohyudin says

    May 10, 2020 at 12:57 am

    It was perfect the first time. I learn so much from you as well! Keep it up great post.

    Reply
    • The Pasta Project says

      May 13, 2020 at 1:48 am

      Thank you for your comment, Ghulam!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Buon giorno and welcome to my pasta project! My name is Jacqui. I’m originally a Londoner but in 2003 life’s journey brought me to the beautiful Veneto region of Italy where… Read More

Top Italian Food Blog

3rd place in Top 50 Italian Food Blogs Awards by Feedspot

Italian Food Blogs

Follow Me

Tags

Abruzzo baked pasta calabria Campania dried pasta Emilia Romagna fresh pasta fusilli gnocchi homemade pasta lamb lasagna lasagne Lazio Le Marche Liguria linguine meat pasta mushrooms Northern Italy orecchiette paccheri pancetta pesto porcini Puglia quick and easy ragu Ravioli ricotta saffron Sardinia sausage seafood Sicily Southern Italy spaghetti tagliatelle tagliolini Trentino-Alto Adige tuna Tuscany vegan vegetarian Veneto

Visit My Shop

In my weekly newsletters, I write about my life in Italy, Italian places, traditions and culture, as well as other foods not just pasta! As a Pasta Project subscriber you'll also get a FREE recipe e-book series! Plus links to the latest recipes and posts.

So, sign up now and get the first recipe e-books to download!

Privacy Policy

Footer

  • Legal disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • Copyright & Disclaimer/ Terms of Use

Copyright © 2022 The Pasta Project on the Brunch Pro Theme