Maybe there’s a strange secret behind all this. Perhaps a high-powered pasta executive somewhere told an assistant “I want to book a teeny vacation”, and it got noted as “bucatini: vacation”.
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The zitone shape does look clumsy like there isn’t going to be a convenient way to eat it, I agree. And it doesn’t seem like the right shape for being stuffed, either.
A-ha! Quoted from the de Cecco website:
Tradition has it that Zitone , which is quite thick with a fairly rough texture, is broken by hand into uneven pieces, before being put in the saucepan to cook.
(I’m glad it doesn’t require precise lengths according to Fibonacci and cut with a traditional “zitonaio”, ultra-fine-toothed hacksaw of rural areas in southern Italy. 
)
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That’s cheating. Orecchiette laid in a staggered fashion as a good bricklayer would do it is the proper method. 
That’s interesting.
Good to know. I was wondering what to do with the rest of them!
Those are very attractive … I hope they taste almost as good as they look.
Barilla bucatini is the only kind of bucatini you can find in the mass grocery stores in my neighborhood too. I imagine they might be available also at specialty stores, but honestly I didn’t feel the need to put in that extra effort for it. gasp
I like more toothsome pasta too, so this, and linguine, are my preferred go to pasta, aside from special shapes needed for specific dishes or sauces (like orrechiette or orzo) . It’s gotten to the point that I can’t even really enjoy regular spaghetti (and angel hair…just no). I only discovered bucatini when I was trying to recreate a version of the infamous garlic noodles from Crustacean/Thanh Long. Ended up stock piling about 4 boxes, and never knew this shortage was a thing. Now that I’m making my way through the stock, I have noticed it cannot be found. Guess the trip t the specialty store it is!
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https://www.vitacost.com/private-selection-italian-bucatini-pasta-16-oz-1?ta=buca&t=bucatini
Most affordable price I have come across shopping so far. No shortage.
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Wow - really good price, and I’ve found the Private Selection label to generally be very good.
My ahem, more $$ mail order bucatini arrived yesterday. It looks great, and am looking forward to making pastichio soon.
My dear is a native Italian and prior to Covid, we travelled to Italy approx. every 2 months for both business and pleasure.
To be honest there are approx. 300 or more types of pasta ! And the wide majority are not exported.
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De Cecco reveals what really happened.
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Thanks.
At least you people in the US will get bucatini again, eventually. I’m much closer to Italy and no supermarket here stocks it anymore simply because it’s not a popular shape. I was able to find it at Turkish supermarkets but it’s all gone, too. I have checked all the Turk markets!
De Cecco is my brand of choice (we only have 2 Italian brands and supermarket’s own brand).
.
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I prefer DeCecco pasta too, but the is thing is my local supermarkets never carried DeCecco bucatini. 
I only found Barilla. Every other shape of DeCecco appears available.
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I recd four of these packages inside an order I placed last week. The pasta is a lot sturdier than I understood by photo. I’m going to use it to make my wife’s Pasta in red wine recipe.
It doesn’t turn out an extra stiff consistency, it’s quite eater-friendly. Just had some the other night. The only Bucatini Challenge is persuading it to get into the pot correctly. 
Ok, thanks for the headsup.
I paid $1.69/lb US$ per package through an online company that I buy other items from. They are well stocked.
500 grams = 1 / 2 kilo (no idea about ounces and pounds)
Norm, is 500 grams of pasta in a package …
Some types come in 250 gram packages.
So this pasta is 6.67 € Per Kilo … Yes ?
12 kilos are 80 € …
This is a rip - off !
This pasta sells for 3.35 € in El Corte Ingles Super Market …
Double the price …
