How do they put holes in macaroni other pastas?

Here's how it works:

1. Dough Preparation: The pasta dough, made from flour, water, and sometimes eggs, is mixed and kneaded until smooth and elastic.

2. Extrusion: The dough is then fed into a pasta extruder. This machine has a large, rotating screw that pushes the dough through a die.

3. The Die: The die is the heart of the process. It's a metal plate with precisely shaped holes. The holes are designed to create the desired shape of the pasta. For macaroni and other hollow pastas, the die will have holes with an inner ring.

4. Shape Formation: As the dough is pushed through the die, it takes on the shape of the hole. The inner ring creates the hollow center.

5. Cutting and Drying: Once the pasta has been extruded through the die, it's cut to the desired length and then dried. This process hardens the pasta and gives it its characteristic texture.

The size and shape of the holes in the die determine the final shape of the pasta. For macaroni, the holes are typically round and relatively large, while for other pastas like penne or rigatoni, the holes may be more elongated or have a different shape.