Fusilli belong to the very short straight pasta cuts; they are a speciality of the Campania region. They have a spiral shape. Long ago, Fusilli were made with a traditional method, passed on from mother to daughter, by twisting with a swift and confident movement of the hands, a "spaghetto" around a knitting needle. This movement resembled the one of a spinning machine. The word "fusillo", as a matter of fact, comes from "fuso", spindle or rod typical of knitting.They are expecially tasty with ragú (for example napoletana) and ricotta sauces. They also taste excellent with tomato sauces, adding peppers, eggplant, olives and capers. (from De Cecco)