Macaroni vs Tubetti
Macaroni is short narrow smooth tube, straight or curved into an elbow. Tubetti is small straight tube, the soup tube of Naples.
Side by side, to scale
10 mmMacaroni: 20 to 35 mm by 5 to 7 mm
Tubetti: 8 to 12 mm by 5 to 7 mm
Footprints from the length and width in each record, one scale for both. See every shape on the chart.
| Family | Tubes | Tubes |
|---|---|---|
| Region | Campania | Campania |
| Section | Short narrow smooth tube, straight or curved into an elbow | Small straight tube, the soup tube of Naples |
| Length | 20 to 35 mm | 8 to 12 mm |
| Width or diameter | 5 to 7 mm | 5 to 7 mm |
| Wall or thickness | 0.9 to 1.1 mm | 0.9 to 1.1 mm |
| Surface | Smooth | Smooth |
| Hollow | Yes | Yes |
| Dough | Semolina and water | Semolina and water |
| Cook time | 7 to 10 min | 8 to 10 min |
| Brands with a page | De Cecco, Rummo, Garofalo, Mancini, Barilla, La Molisana | De Cecco, Rummo, Mancini |
| Catalogue numbers | De Cecco no. 33, De Cecco no. 81, Rummo no. 66, Garofalo no. 197, La Molisana no. 37 | De Cecco no. 62, Rummo no. 29, Rummo no. 31, Rummo no. 72 |
| Cook time across brands | 5 to 13 min | 9 to 12 min |
| Brand dimensions | Mancini: 40 mm long, 10.2 mm across | Rummo: 9.5 mm long, 8.6 mm across; Mancini: 7 mm long, 10.2 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 | 9 | 5 |
| Pairs with | Mac and cheese, Pasta salad, Minestrone, Pomodoro, Four cheese | Pasta e fagioli, Minestrone, Pasta e ceci, Vongole, Pomodoro |
Macaroni
A small smooth tube with a curve, so it holds a cheese sauce inside and a dressing in the bend. Mac and cheese, pasta salad, minestrone. It has no ridges, so a thin oil sauce slides off.
Tubetti
As ditali: soups, bean and potato stews, a thick tomato. Naples also serves it with mussels in a light broth, tubetti e cozze.
Can you swap them?
Macaroni for tubetti: yes, elbows.
Both take Minestrone, Pomodoro.
Only macaroni: Mac and cheese, Pasta salad, Four cheese.
Only tubetti: Pasta e fagioli, Pasta e ceci, Vongole.
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.