Farfalline vs Mafaldine
Farfalline is tiny bow ties for soup. Mafaldine is long flat ribbon with ruffled edges on both sides.
Side by side, to scale
10 mmFarfalline: 8 to 12 mm by 6 to 9 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 | Pastina | Ribbons |
|---|---|---|
| Region | All of Italy | Campania |
| Section | Tiny bow ties for soup | Long flat ribbon with ruffled edges on both sides |
| Length | 8 to 12 mm | 250 to 260 mm |
| Width or diameter | 6 to 9 mm | 10 to 14 mm |
| Wall or thickness | not measured | 0.9 to 1.2 mm |
| Surface | Smooth | Smooth |
| Hollow | No | No |
| Dough | Semolina and water | Semolina and water |
| Cook time | 6 to 9 min | 8 to 11 min |
| Brands with a page | De Cecco, Garofalo, Barilla, La Molisana | De Cecco, Rummo, La Molisana |
| Catalogue numbers | De Cecco no. 95, Garofalo no. 23, La Molisana no. 208 | De Cecco no. 2, De Cecco no. 32, Rummo no. 80, La Molisana no. 77 |
| Cook time across brands | 5 to 9 min | 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 | 3 | 4 |
| Pairs with | Minestrone, In brodo, Pomodoro | Sausage ragu, Ragu napoletano, Ricotta, Cream sauce, Pomodoro |
Farfalline
Soup, or a simple tomato for a child. The pinch stays firm.
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 1 sauce: Pomodoro.
Only farfalline: Minestrone, In brodo.
Only mafaldine: Sausage ragu, Ragu napoletano, Ricotta, Cream sauce.
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.