Pasta, oddly packed in gift bag (8)
I believe the answer is:
knapsack
'bag' is the definition.
(knapsack is a kind of bag)
'pasta oddly packed in gift' is the wordplay.
'oddly' means one should take alternating letters (letters in the odd-numbered positions are used).
'packed in' means one lot of letters goes inside another.
'gift' becomes 'knack' (knack is a kind of gift).
The alternating letters of 'pasta' are 'psa'.
'psa' inserted inside 'knack' is 'KNAPSACK'.
(Other definitions for knapsack that I've seen before include "Hiker's bag" , "Hiking bag" , "(Hiker's) backpack" , "Bag with straps" , "Traveller's or soldier's bag" .)