Candele vs Paccheri
Candele is very long smooth tube, broken by hand before cooking. Paccheri is very wide smooth tube, collapses flat when cooked.
Side by side, to scale
10 mmCandele: 400 to 500 mm by 12 to 16 mm
Paccheri: 45 to 55 mm by 25 to 30 mm
Footprints from the length and width in each record, one scale for both. See every shape on the chart.
| Family | Tubes | Tubes |
|---|---|---|
| Region | Campania | Campania |
| Section | Very long smooth tube, broken by hand before cooking | Very wide smooth tube, collapses flat when cooked |
| Length | 400 to 500 mm | 45 to 55 mm |
| Width or diameter | 12 to 16 mm | 25 to 30 mm |
| Wall or thickness | 1.1 to 1.4 mm | 1.2 to 1.5 mm |
| Surface | Smooth | Smooth |
| Hollow | Yes | Yes |
| Dough | Semolina and water | Semolina and water |
| Cook time | 13 to 17 min | 14 to 18 min |
| Brands with a page | Rummo, La Molisana | De Cecco, Rummo, Garofalo, Mancini, La Molisana |
| Catalogue numbers | Rummo no. 77, La Molisana no. 107 | De Cecco no. 125, De Cecco no. 225, Rummo no. 111, Rummo no. 150, Rummo no. 152, Rummo no. 168, Rummo no. 195, Garofalo no. 83, La Molisana no. 316, La Molisana no. 321 |
| Cook time across brands | 10 to 12 min | 12 to 16 min |
| Brand dimensions | Rummo: 60 mm long, 12.5 mm across | Mancini: 30 mm long, 30 mm across |
| Energy, dry, per 100 g | 371 kcal (dry semolina pasta) | 371 kcal (dry semolina pasta) |
| Protein, dry, per 100 g | 13.0 g | 13.0 g |
| Products catalogued | not measured | 18 |
| Pairs with | Ragu napoletano, Meat ragu, Baked (al forno), Pomodoro | Ragu napoletano, Frutti di mare, Baked (al forno), Norma, Meat ragu |
Candele
Broken into uneven lengths, the wide smooth tube fills with a slow sauce and holds it: the Neapolitan Genovese, a ragu napoletano, a baked dish.
Paccheri
The huge bore traps whole pieces of squid, sausage, or braised meat and the flattened tube carries sauce on both faces. It wants a sauce with big pieces: seafood ragu, ragu napoletano, or a filling and the oven. A thin sauce leaves it empty.
Can you swap them?
Paccheri for candele: yes, wider and shorter.
Both take Ragu napoletano, Meat ragu, Baked (al forno).
Only candele: Pomodoro.
Only paccheri: Frutti di mare, Norma.
Sources
- Dimensions, surface, dough, and cook time: each shape page names the brand page, spec sheet, or measured box behind every figure.
- Brands, catalogue numbers, brand cook times, and brand dimensions: the brand product pages linked on each shape page, read on 2026-08-25.
- Energy and protein: USDA FoodData Central, per 100 g of the dough, public domain.
- Products catalogued: Open Food Facts, Open Database License, read on 2026-08-25. A crowd database: a count is a floor.