In the past, Fusilli were made by hand according to a method that was passed down from one generation to the next. You had to rapidly twist a strand of spaghetti around a knitting needle with a skilled hand. The ability required to perform this procedure is reminiscent of that of spinners and as a matter of fact, the term "fusillo" comes from "fuso" (spindle) which was the tool used by spinners. This pasta is particularly good with meat and fish based sauces or with condiments made with ricotta. It is also perfect with vegetable sauces too that are prepared with a tomato sauce with peppers, aubergines, olives and capers.