Cascatelli vs Mafaldine
Cascatelli is half-tube with a ruffled flange, curved into a half-loop. Mafaldine is long flat ribbon with ruffled edges on both sides.
Side by side, to scale
10 mmCascatelli: 30 to 40 mm by 12 to 16 mm
Mafaldine: 250 to 260 mm by 10 to 14 mm
Footprints from the length and width in each record, one scale for both. See every shape on the chart.
| Family | Short shapes | Ribbons |
|---|---|---|
| Region | United States | Campania |
| Section | Half-tube with a ruffled flange, curved into a half-loop | Long flat ribbon with ruffled edges on both sides |
| Length | 30 to 40 mm | 250 to 260 mm |
| Width or diameter | 12 to 16 mm | 10 to 14 mm |
| Wall or thickness | not measured | 0.9 to 1.2 mm |
| Surface | Ridged | Smooth |
| Hollow | No | No |
| Dough | Semolina and water | Semolina and water |
| Cook time | 10 to 13 min | 8 to 11 min |
| Brands with a page | not measured | De Cecco, Rummo, La Molisana |
| Catalogue numbers | not measured | De Cecco no. 2, De Cecco no. 32, Rummo no. 80, La Molisana no. 77 |
| Cook time across brands | not measured | 8 to 12 min |
| 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 | 4 |
| Pairs with | Meat ragu, Cream sauce, Mac and cheese, Vegetable ragu, Sausage ragu | Sausage ragu, Ragu napoletano, Ricotta, Cream sauce, Pomodoro |
Cascatelli
Designed for sauce: the trough holds it, the ruffle grips it, and the curve keeps it on the fork. Ragu, cream, cheese sauces, and chunky vegetable sauces all work.
Mafaldine
The frilled edges trap a sauce that a flat ribbon would shed, so it handles ragu, sausage, and cream with pieces in them. It also takes a smooth tomato well; the ruffles hold it.
Can you swap them?
Not a natural swap. They share 2 sauces: Cream sauce, Sausage ragu.
Only cascatelli: Meat ragu, Mac and cheese, Vegetable ragu.
Only mafaldine: Ragu napoletano, Ricotta, Pomodoro.
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.