What to use instead of lasagnette

The closest swap: mafaldine

Every swap for lasagnette, 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
   

   Mafaldine

   Ribbons · Campania

   Narrower, ruffled both sides (chosen)

2. 2
   

   Pappardelle

   Ribbons · Tuscany

   The fresh egg equivalent (chosen)

3. 3
   

   Fettuccine

   Ribbons · Lazio

   Same family, also solid, also smooth, shares 2 sauces

4. 4
   

   Maccheroncini di Campofilone

   Ribbons · Marche

   Same family, also solid, also smooth, shares 1 sauce

5. 5
   

   Tagliatelle

   Ribbons · Emilia-Romagna

   Same family, also solid, also smooth, shares 1 sauce

6. 6
   

   Campanelle

   Short shapes · All of Italy

   Also solid, also smooth, shares 2 sauces, close in size

7. 7
   

   Maltagliati

   Ribbons · Emilia-Romagna

   Same family, also solid, also smooth

8. 8
   

   Tagliolini

   Ribbons · Piedmont

   Same family, also solid, also smooth

Match the sauce, not the look

Lasagnette is listed against 4 sauces. Pick the swap that holds the one you are cooking.

• Best pasta for meat ragu: Any slow meat sauce with solids in it. It wants a shape with a cavity: a wide tube, a cup, or a broad ribbon.
• 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 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.

Side by side

The measured difference between lasagnette and each swap.