What to use instead of malloreddus

The closest swap: cavatelli

Every swap for malloreddus, 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
   

   Cavatelli

   Hand-formed · Puglia

   The mainland hand shell (chosen)

2. 2
   

   Gnocchetti sardi

   Short shapes · Sardinia

   The same shape, dried (chosen)

3. 3
   

   Conchiglie

   Short shapes · All of Italy

   Small shells (chosen)

4. 4
   

   Sagne 'ncannulate

   Hand-formed · Puglia

   Same family, also solid, shares 3 sauces, close in size

5. 5
   

   Capunti

   Hand-formed · Puglia

   Same family, also solid, shares 2 sauces, close in size

6. 6
   

   Gnocchi

   Hand-formed · All of Italy

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

7. 7
   

   Orecchiette

   Hand-formed · Puglia

   Same family, also solid, shares 4 sauces

8. 8
   

   Pizzarelle

   Hand-formed · Lazio

   Same family, also solid, shares 2 sauces, close in size

Match the sauce, not the look

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

• 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 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 pomodoro: Tomato, olive oil, garlic or onion, basil. Smooth and light. Almost any shape works; the classic is spaghetti or penne.
• Best pasta for ricotta: Fresh ricotta loosened with pasta water, with lemon, pepper, or spinach. Mild and creamy. Short shapes and ribbons.

Side by side

The measured difference between malloreddus and each swap.