What to use instead of quadrucci
Soup. Chickpeas, peas and broth, a chicken stock. The thin egg squares soften fast.
The closest swap: maltagliati
The irregular version of the same offcut.
Quadrucci is pastina, 8 to 12 mm long, 2 to 4 minutes in the pot. Maltagliati sits in the ribbons family and cooks in 2 to 4 minutes. Match the cook time first. A swap that is right in shape and wrong in time still ends up wrong on the plate.
Every swap for quadrucci, 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
Maltagliati
Ribbons · Emilia-Romagna
The irregular version of the same offcut (chosen)
- 2
Ditalini
Pastina · Campania
Tiny tubes (chosen)
- 3
Farfalline
Pastina · All of Italy
Tiny bows (chosen)
- 4
Anelli
Pastina · Sicily
Same family, also solid, also smooth, shares 2 sauces, close in size
- 5
Acini di pepe
Pastina · All of Italy
Same family, also solid, also smooth, shares 3 sauces
- 6
Alphabet pasta
Pastina · All of Italy
Same family, also solid, also smooth, shares 2 sauces
- 7
Orzo
Pastina · All of Italy
Same family, also solid, also smooth, shares 2 sauces
- 8
Pastina
Pastina · All of Italy
Same family, also solid, also smooth, shares 2 sauces
Match the sauce, not the look
Quadrucci is listed against 4 sauces. Pick the swap that holds the one you are cooking.
- Best pasta for pasta e ceci: Chickpeas, rosemary, garlic, and a small pasta. Roman. Ditalini, quadrucci, or maltagliati.
- Best pasta for in brodo: A clear meat or chicken broth. Pastina or filled pasta, cooked and served in the liquid.
- Best pasta for minestrone: A thick vegetable soup with beans and a small pasta added at the end. Ditalini, conchigliette, or anellini.
- Best pasta for pasta e fagioli: Beans, soffritto, a little tomato, and small pasta cooked in the soup. Ditalini, tubetti, or broken spaghetti.
Side by side
The measured difference between quadrucci and each swap.