The die function in Macaroni is to give the finished product the chosen shape. The great variety of pasta kinds and sizes is available due to the possibility of making specific dies. The long cut pasta, for instance, is produced in many different shapes that can be summarized, according to their section, as follows:
• Long round pasta without hole (e.g. spaghetti);
• Long round pasta with hole (e.g. bucati, ziti, zitoni);
• Long oval pasta (e.g. linguine);
• Flat straight pasta with rectangular section (e.g. fettuccine);
• Flat straight pasta with simple (on one side) or double (on both sides) festoons (e.g. mafalde, curly lasagna).
Macaroni dies are used keeping different dimensions of various shapes such as section, diameter, length, width, and thickness in mind. It may vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, even if many shapes have standard commercial values. The die is made of a bronze support with a shape which is usually rectangular for long cut pasta and round for the short one. In the bronze support (that must have the right thickness to give it the necessary strength for the high and continuous pressure it is subjected to), there are holes in which inserts are placed.
