What to use instead of rotelle

The closest swap: farfalle

Every swap for rotelle, 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
   

   Farfalle

   Short shapes · Lombardy

   Another flat kids' shape (chosen)

2. 2
   

   Fusilli

   Short shapes · Campania

   A spiral for salad (chosen)

3. 3
   

   Anelli

   Pastina · Sicily

   Rings for soup (chosen)

4. 4
   

   Rotini

   Short shapes · United States

   Same family, also solid, also smooth, shares 3 sauces

5. 5
   

   Campanelle

   Short shapes · All of Italy

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

6. 6
   

   Gemelli

   Short shapes · All of Italy

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

7. 7
   

   Trottole

   Short shapes · All of Italy

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

8. 8
   

   Conchiglie

   Short shapes · All of Italy

   Same family, also solid, shares 3 sauces

Match the sauce, not the look

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

• Best pasta for pasta salad: Cooked, cooled pasta dressed with oil or mayonnaise and mixed with vegetables. Short shapes with folds that hold dressing.
• 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 mac and cheese: A cheddar or American cheese sauce, often baked. Elbows are traditional. Shells and cavatappi hold more sauce.
• Best pasta for minestrone: A thick vegetable soup with beans and a small pasta added at the end. Ditalini, conchigliette, or anellini.

Side by side

The measured difference between rotelle and each swap.