Foglie d'ulivo vs Trofie

Foglie d'ulivo is flat leaf with a pinched vein, often tinted green with spinach. Trofie is thin twist rolled with the flat of the hand, pointed at both ends.

Foglie d'ulivo

Trofie

Side by side, to scale

10 mm

Foglie d'ulivo: 35 to 50 mm by 8 to 12 mm

Trofie: 25 to 40 mm by 4 to 6 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	Puglia	Liguria
Section	Flat leaf with a pinched vein, often tinted green with spinach	Thin twist rolled with the flat of the hand, pointed at both ends
Length	35 to 50 mm	25 to 40 mm
Width or diameter	8 to 12 mm	4 to 6 mm
Surface	Rough	Rough
Hollow	No	No
Dough	Semolina and water	Semolina and water
Cook time	8 to 12 min	8 to 11 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	14
Pairs with	Pesto alla genovese, Pomodoro, Vegetable ragu, Aglio e olio	Pesto alla genovese, Walnut sauce, Pomodoro, Vegetable ragu

Foglie d'ulivo

A flat rough leaf coats well and takes light sauces: pesto, oil and cherry tomatoes, a vegetable sauce, a light seafood dressing.

Trofie

A tight rough twist made for pesto. The raw basil paste clings to the spiral, and the potato and beans cooked in the same water round the dish out. A walnut sauce or a light tomato also works.

Can you swap them?

Trofie for foglie d'ulivo: yes, a Ligurian twist for pesto.

Both take Pesto alla genovese, Pomodoro, Vegetable ragu.

Only foglie d'ulivo: Aglio e olio.

Only trofie: Walnut sauce.

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.