Also known as 'Reginette' or 'Reginelle', they come from the Naples area where they were once called 'Fettuccelle Ricce'. The Neapolitans dedicated them to Princess Mafalda of Savoy and renamed them Reginette (from the Italian "regina" meaning queen) or Mafaldine in her honor.
Once puff pastry, like Mafaldine, has been cooked, they have a distinctive, uneven texture that differs between smooth and wrinkled parts.
Another characteristic of this type of pasta is that the wrinkled part can hold more sauce than the smooth part.
This is a fairly versatile type of pasta, so the recommended sauces for Mafaldine are: Neapolitan ragout with ricotta, game sauces, fish sauces made from shellfish and seafood or white sauces made from soft cheeses with the addition of curry, saffron, horseradish or ginger.