Fileja vs Maccheroni al ferretto
Fileja is strip wound around a thin rod into a short irregular spiral. Maccheroni al ferretto is strip of dough rolled around a thin iron rod into a long hollow tube.
Side by side, to scale
10 mmFileja: 40 to 80 mm by 5 to 8 mm
Maccheroni al ferretto: 60 to 120 mm by 5 to 8 mm
Footprints from the length and width in each record, one scale for both. See every shape on the chart.
| Family | Hand-formed | Hand-formed |
|---|---|---|
| Region | Calabria | Calabria |
| Section | Strip wound around a thin rod into a short irregular spiral | Strip of dough rolled around a thin iron rod into a long hollow tube |
| Length | 40 to 80 mm | 60 to 120 mm |
| Width or diameter | 5 to 8 mm | 5 to 8 mm |
| Surface | Rough | Rough |
| Hollow | Yes | Yes |
| Dough | Semolina and water | Semolina and water |
| Cook time | 8 to 12 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 | not measured |
| Pairs with | Sausage ragu, Meat ragu, Pomodoro, Arrabbiata | Meat ragu, Sausage ragu, Pomodoro, Ragu napoletano |
Fileja
A rough hollow coil for the spicy sauces of Calabria: 'nduja and tomato, a pork ragu, a goat ragu. The coil holds a thick sauce and the rough surface takes the fat.
Maccheroni al ferretto
Rough, chewy, and hollow, so they carry the heaviest southern sauces: pork ragu, goat ragu, 'nduja, a slow tomato with pecorino.
Can you swap them?
Fileja for maccheroni al ferretto: yes, the twisted Calabrian version.
Both take Sausage ragu, Meat ragu, Pomodoro.
Only fileja: Arrabbiata.
Only maccheroni al ferretto: Ragu napoletano.
Sources
- Dimensions, surface, dough, and cook time: each shape page names the brand page, spec sheet, or measured box behind every figure.
- 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.