Evil crime involved getting hold of student fare from Italy

• Very thin strings of pasta
• Pasta in long slender threads
• Food that's Italian for "little worms"
• Pasta with pets in it?
• ''Little worms''

Wiktionary Word definitions in Wiktionary
n. long, slender pasta, similar to spaghetti, only thinner.

The Collaborative International Dictionary Word definitions in The Collaborative International Dictionary
Vermicelli \Ver`mi*cel"li\, n. [It., pl. of vermicello, literally, a little worm, dim. of verme a worm, L. vermis. See Worm , and cf. Vermicule , Vermeil .] The flour of a hard and small-grained wheat made into dough, and forced through small cylinders ...

Wikipedia Word definitions in Wikipedia
Vermicelli (, lit. "little worms") is a traditional type of pasta round in section similar to spaghetti . In Italy vermicelli is slightly thicker than spaghetti but in the United States it is instead slightly thinner.

Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary Word definitions in Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
kind of pasta, 1660s, literally "little worms," from Italian vermicelli , plural of vermicello , diminutive of verme , accusative singular of Latin vermis "worm" (see worm (n.)). So called for resemblance.

WordNet Word definitions in WordNet
n. pasta in strings thinner than spaghetti