Founded in 1877, Barilla has generally stuck to their roots, making common pasta shapes like Cavatappi, Fusilli, or Rigatoni; however, as part of their deal with Formula 1 Racing, they created a racing wheel shaped pasta.
On April 11, 2025, Barilla became an official partner of Formula 1. The connection between the two companies extends with Paolo Barilla, who is the current Vice President of the Barilla Group, and a former Formula 1 driver. In the official statement by Barilla, Paolo discusses the similarities between the two brands, “There are few children in Italy who do not grow up eating Pastina, these classic tiny pasta stars are what parents first serve as a child’s introduction to the delicious world of pasta.”
Debuting just one day ago, the new pasta shape maintains their classic recipe. Barilla was a sensible partner for Formula 1 as both companies have a multitude of connections to Italy.
While this new look may be exciting for many consumers, this is not the first limited edition pasta that has been a part of the Barilla brand.
In January and February of 2026, Barilla sold a heart shaped pasta to celebrate Valentine’s Day. Supplies may still remain in stores such as Amazon, Kroger, ShopRite, and Walmart.
A fan favorite, Barilla’s Pastina pasta is shaped into miniature stars. According to the official Barilla website, this pasta is best used in soup and broths due to the tiny shape. Bolstering the Italian connection with Formula 1, the Barilla website writes, “There are few children in Italy who do not grow up eating Pastina, these classic tiny pasta stars are what parents first serve as a child’s introduction to the delicious world of pasta.” While this shape used to be a limited edition item, it is now a permanent part of the Barilla line up.
