What to use instead of creste di gallo

The closest swap: cascatelli

Every swap for creste di gallo, ranked

A substitute must behave the same way with the sauce you are making. The ones marked as chosen are hand-picked. The rest score on family, cavity, surface, size, and shared sauces.

1. 1
   

   Cascatelli

   Short shapes · United States

   A curved ruffled half-tube (chosen)

2. 2
   

   Pipe rigate

   Tubes · All of Italy

   A curved ridged tube (chosen)

3. 3
   

   Radiatori

   Short shapes · All of Italy

   A finned shape (chosen)

4. 4
   

   Conchiglie

   Short shapes · All of Italy

   Same family, also ridged, shares 4 sauces

5. 5
   

   Campanelle

   Short shapes · All of Italy

   Same family, shares 3 sauces, close in size

6. 6
   

   Conchiglioni

   Short shapes · All of Italy

   Same family, also ridged, shares 3 sauces

7. 7
   

   Gramigna

   Short shapes · Emilia-Romagna

   Same family, also hollow, shares 3 sauces

8. 8
   

   Lumache

   Tubes · All of Italy

   Also hollow, also ridged, shares 3 sauces, close in size

Match the sauce, not the look

Creste di gallo is listed against 5 sauces. Pick the swap that holds the one you are cooking.

• Best pasta for cream sauce: Panna with cheese, mushrooms, ham, or peas. Heavy and clinging. Ridges and cups keep it on the pasta.
• Best pasta for sausage ragu: Crumbled sausage, often with fennel, cooked in tomato or white wine. Orecchiette in Puglia, rigatoni everywhere else.
• Best pasta for pomodoro: Tomato, olive oil, garlic or onion, basil. Smooth and light. Almost any shape works; the classic is spaghetti or penne.
• Best pasta for baked (al forno): Pasta finished in the oven with sauce and cheese, or stuffed and baked. It needs a sturdy shape that survives twice cooking.
• Best pasta for mac and cheese: A cheddar or American cheese sauce, often baked. Elbows are traditional. Shells and cavatappi hold more sauce.

Side by side

The measured difference between creste di gallo and each swap.