What to use instead of semi di melone
Broth and soup only.
The closest swap: orzo
A rounder grain.
Semi di melone is pastina, 4 to 6 mm long, 6 to 8 minutes in the pot. Orzo sits in the pastina family and cooks in 7 to 10 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 semi di melone, 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
Orzo
Pastina · All of Italy
A rounder grain (chosen)
- 2
Acini di pepe
Pastina · All of Italy
Beads (chosen)
- 3
Alphabet pasta
Pastina · All of Italy
Same family, also solid, also smooth, shares 2 sauces, close in size
- 4
Pastina
Pastina · All of Italy
Same family, also solid, also smooth, shares 2 sauces, close in size
- 5
Stelline
Pastina · All of Italy
Same family, also solid, also smooth, shares 2 sauces, close in size
- 6
Anelli
Pastina · Sicily
Same family, also solid, also smooth, shares 2 sauces
- 7
Ditalini
Pastina · Campania
Same family, also smooth, shares 2 sauces, close in size
- 8
Farfalline
Pastina · All of Italy
Same family, also solid, also smooth, shares 2 sauces
Match the sauce, not the look
Semi di melone is listed against 2 sauces. Pick the swap that holds the one you are cooking.
- 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.
Side by side
The measured difference between semi di melone and each swap.
Where to buy
Find a substitute for any shape · The full semi di melone page