Conchiglie vs Lumache
Conchiglie is cupped shell with ridges on the outside. Lumache is snail-shell tube, curved and pinched at one end.
Side by side, to scale
10 mmConchiglie: 25 to 35 mm by 15 to 22 mm
Lumache: 20 to 30 mm by 12 to 16 mm
Footprints from the length and width in each record, one scale for both. See every shape on the chart.
| Family | Short shapes | Tubes |
|---|---|---|
| Region | All of Italy | All of Italy |
| Section | Cupped shell with ridges on the outside | Snail-shell tube, curved and pinched at one end |
| Length | 25 to 35 mm | 20 to 30 mm |
| Width or diameter | 15 to 22 mm | 12 to 16 mm |
| Wall or thickness | not measured | 1 to 1.3 mm |
| Surface | Ridged | Ridged |
| Hollow | No | Yes |
| Dough | Semolina and water | Semolina and water |
| Cook time | 10 to 13 min | 10 to 13 min |
| Brands with a page | De Cecco, Rummo, Garofalo, Barilla, La Molisana | Rummo, Garofalo, Mancini, La Molisana |
| Catalogue numbers | De Cecco no. 50, De Cecco no. 52, Rummo no. 42, Garofalo no. 84, La Molisana no. 25, La Molisana no. 56, La Molisana no. 57, La Molisana no. 313 | Rummo no. 39, Garofalo no. 56, La Molisana no. 53, La Molisana no. 54, La Molisana no. 307 |
| Cook time across brands | 7 to 15 min | 7 to 14 min |
| Brand dimensions | Rummo: | Rummo: 12.5 mm long; Mancini: 25 mm long, 15 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 | 37 | not measured |
| Pairs with | Mac and cheese, Sausage ragu, Cream sauce, Vegetable ragu, Tuna and tomato, Pomodoro, Pasta salad | Cream sauce, Sausage ragu, Vegetable ragu, Baked (al forno) |
Conchiglie
A cup fills with whatever is in the pan: cheese sauce, cream with peas, a sausage crumble, a chunky tomato. Medium shells are a mac-and-cheese upgrade. Ridges hold sauce on the outside too.
Lumache
A cup and a tube in one piece. Cream, cheese, sausage, a chunky vegetable sauce. Lumaconi take a ricotta filling and the oven.
Can you swap them?
Conchiglie for lumache: yes, shells.
Both take Sausage ragu, Cream sauce, Vegetable ragu.
Only conchiglie: Mac and cheese, Tuna and tomato, Pomodoro, Pasta salad.
Only lumache: Baked (al forno).
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.