Conchiglie vs Orecchiette
Conchiglie is cupped shell with ridges on the outside. Orecchiette is small domed disc, rough on the outside, dragged over the board with a knife.
Side by side, to scale
10 mmConchiglie: 25 to 35 mm by 15 to 22 mm
Orecchiette: 18 to 25 mm by 18 to 25 mm
Footprints from the length and width in each record, one scale for both. See every shape on the chart.
| Family | Short shapes | Hand-formed |
|---|---|---|
| Region | All of Italy | Puglia |
| Section | Cupped shell with ridges on the outside | Small domed disc, rough on the outside, dragged over the board with a knife |
| Length | 25 to 35 mm | 18 to 25 mm |
| Width or diameter | 15 to 22 mm | 18 to 25 mm |
| Wall or thickness | not measured | 2 to 3 mm |
| Surface | Ridged | Rough |
| Hollow | No | No |
| Dough | Semolina and water | Semolina and water |
| Cook time | 10 to 13 min | 9 to 12 min |
| Brands with a page | De Cecco, Rummo, Garofalo, Barilla, La Molisana | De Cecco, Rummo, Garofalo, Barilla, 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 | De Cecco no. 91, Rummo no. 87, Garofalo no. 5, La Molisana no. 30 |
| Cook time across brands | 7 to 15 min | 10 to 14 min |
| Brand dimensions | Rummo: | not measured |
| 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 | 300 |
| Pairs with | Mac and cheese, Sausage ragu, Cream sauce, Vegetable ragu, Tuna and tomato, Pomodoro, Pasta salad | Cime di rapa, Sausage ragu, Broccoli and anchovy, Meat ragu, Pomodoro, Ricotta |
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.
Orecchiette
A rough cup with a thick centre and a thin rim. The cup holds greens, sausage crumbs, and chunky vegetables; the rough outside grips oil and cheese. It wants sauces with pieces, never a smooth coating.
Can you swap them?
Orecchiette for conchiglie: yes, a smaller cup, the hand-made cousin.
Conchiglie for orecchiette: yes, a dried cup of similar size.
Both take Sausage ragu, Pomodoro.
Only conchiglie: Mac and cheese, Cream sauce, Vegetable ragu, Tuna and tomato, Pasta salad.
Only orecchiette: Cime di rapa, Broccoli and anchovy, Meat ragu, Ricotta.
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.