Racing Wheels: The New Barilla Pasta Shape Inspired By The Motor Valley
“Racing Wheels,” the newest pasta shape from Barilla, has just hit supermarket shelves, and it’s a game-changer. As pasta lovers, we tried them and were won over by the flavor, texture, and quick cooking time. The grooves in the wheel-shaped pasta are designed to hold sauce perfectly.
Pasta and Place in Italy
In Italy, pasta has always been closely tied to a sense of place because of the regionality of Italian cuisine.
One estimate suggests that there are as many as 400 different pasta shapes. And these shapes can have as many as 1200 different names and preparations, varying by region.
Packaged in the recognizable blue box, the new special edition pasta shape resembles F1 racer wheels. The product has an interesting heritage tied to the Emilia Romagna region in northwest Italy—the home of Barilla, the world’s largest pasta producer.
Emilia Romagna is known as the Food Valley, the culinary heartland of the food-centric nation. The ancient Via Emilia (the old Roman road that runs from west to east) connects cities like Parma, Modena, Bologna, and Reggio Emilia.
These cities are known around the world for their record number of DOP (Protected Designation of Origin) and IGP (Protected Geographical Indication) products certified by the European Union. DOP and IGP foods can only be produced in certain geographical areas using traditional techniques to assure their quality and consistency. These include Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, Prosciutto di Parma ham, Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena, and cured meats.
Fast Cars in the Motor Valley
In 2025, Barilla launched a partnership making it the “Official Pasta Partner” of Formula 1 racing. The marriage of slow foods and fast cars was natural.
Emilia Romagna is also considered the epicenter of the Italian luxury motor industry, as the birthplace of some of the world’s best-known motor brands—including Ferrari, Maserati, Lamborghini, Pagani, Ducati, Dallara, and more.
This mecca for auto and racing enthusiasts boasts 13 museums along the Via Emilia that are focused on the motor industry alone. These include the uber-popular Museo Ferrari in Maranello and the Museo Enzo Ferrari in Modena, which includes the Enzo Ferrari family home and his father’s workshop. Two other fan favorites: The Mudetec Lamborghini Museum and the Ferruccio Lamborghini Museum explain the history of the brand through its historic cars and the life of its founder.
Barilla also has a personal attachment to F1: Paolo Barilla, deputy chairman of the Barilla Group and one of the three Barilla brothers, was a Formula 1 driver who raced for the Minardi team.
Pasta also has another association with F1 history: Luigi Montanini (nicknamed Pasticcino) played a seminal role in changing the “food fuel” of F1 drivers, mechanics and engineers in the paddocks from a diet of cold sandwiches to hearty, energy-producing pasta.
Racing Wheels Pair Pasta and Racing
Barilla’s Racing Wheels couple pasta and racing. The round pasta with spokes and a textured edge that grips sauces was launched for this year’s Formula 1 races. The new shape, a fun addition to the pantry for motor fanatics, home cooks and kids, will be distributed nationwide at Walmart.com before it comes to supermarket shelves. The Barilla website features Racing Wheels recipes.
Barilla also produces its kid-favorite mini wheels pasta, considered a miniature version of the traditional rotelle pasta shape.
About Barilla
Barilla is a family business chaired by the brothers Guido, Luca and Paolo Barilla and founded by their great-grandfather Pietro Barilla, who opened a bakery in Parma in 1877. Italy leads the world in both pasta consumption and pasta production, and pasta dishes continue to unite Italian families and friends around the world. This beloved food is also one of Italy’s most popular exports.
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