What to use instead of trottole

The closest swap: campanelle

Every swap for trottole, 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
   

   Campanelle

   Short shapes · All of Italy

   A ruffled cone (chosen)

2. 2
   

   Fusilli

   Short shapes · Campania

   A spiral (chosen)

3. 3
   

   Radiatori

   Short shapes · All of Italy

   A finned shape (chosen)

4. 4
   

   Conchiglie

   Short shapes · All of Italy

   Same family, also solid, shares 5 sauces, close in size

5. 5
   

   Vesuvio

   Short shapes · Campania

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

6. 6
   

   Farfalle

   Short shapes · Lombardy

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

7. 7
   

   Gemelli

   Short shapes · All of Italy

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

8. 8
   

   Rotini

   Short shapes · United States

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

Match the sauce, not the look

Trottole is listed against 5 sauces. Pick the swap that holds the one you are cooking.

• Best pasta for cream sauce: Panna with cheese, mushrooms, ham, or peas. Heavy and clinging. Ridges and cups keep it on the pasta.
• 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 vegetable ragu: Diced vegetables cooked slowly in tomato or oil. Zucchini, peppers, eggplant. Short shapes with folds.
• 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 pasta salad: Cooked, cooled pasta dressed with oil or mayonnaise and mixed with vegetables. Short shapes with folds that hold dressing.

Side by side

The measured difference between trottole and each swap.