What to use instead of rotini

The closest swap: fusilli

Every swap for rotini, 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
   

   Fusilli

   Short shapes · Campania

   The same spiral under its Italian name (chosen)

2. 2
   

   Cavatappi

   Tubes · All of Italy

   A hollow ridged spiral (chosen)

3. 3
   

   Gemelli

   Short shapes · All of Italy

   A looser twist (chosen)

4. 4
   

   Campanelle

   Short shapes · All of Italy

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

5. 5
   

   Farfalle

   Short shapes · Lombardy

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

6. 6
   

   Foglie d'ulivo

   Short shapes · Puglia

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

7. 7
   

   Gnocchetti sardi

   Short shapes · Sardinia

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

8. 8
   

   Rotelle

   Short shapes · All of Italy

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

Match the sauce, not the look

Rotini is listed against 5 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 pesto alla genovese: Basil, pine nuts, garlic, parmesan, pecorino, olive oil. Raw and oily. Trofie and trenette are the Ligurian pairings.
• 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 vegetable ragu: Diced vegetables cooked slowly in tomato or oil. Zucchini, peppers, eggplant. Short shapes with folds.

Side by side

The measured difference between rotini and each swap.