Synonyms:   tubular pasta = tubular-shaped pasta = tube-shaped pasta

With their thick walls,  tubular pasta like penne and macaroni are ideal for pasta salads, thick sauces, and casseroles.  Long tubes like perciatelli are often served with sauces, or they're broken up and used in soups.   Large, wide tubes like cannelloni and manicotti are stuffed and baked.  Tubes with grooves on the exterior, denoted by the Italian adjective "rigati" or "rigate" after the pasta's name, do a better job of holding sauces.   Smooth-walled pasta is called "lisci" or "lisce."

Varieties:

calamaretti  Notes:   These look like rings of squid ("calamari" in Italian).  They're great with sauces.  Substitutes:  paccheri OR rigatoni OR elicoidali OR tortiglioni

canneroni    Pronunciation:   ca-na-ROW-nee  Notes:   Canneroni ("big reeds" in Italian) are small, short tubes of pasta.    Substitutes:   ditali

cannelloni  Pronunciation:  kan-uh-LOW-nee   Notes:   Cannelloni ("big reeds" in Italian) are large pasta tubes that are usually stuffed with a meat or cheese filling and baked.   The name is also used for the finished casserole.   Substitutes:  manicotti OR tufoli (smaller) OR egg roll wrappers

cannolicchi  Notes:   These are short, grooved tubes of pasta.  Substitutes:   penne OR ziti OR canneroni

cavatappi   Pronunciation:   cah-vah-TOP-pee  Notes:   This is a type of Italian pasta shaped like a short, slender corkscrew.   Substitutes:  fusilli OR farfalle OR cavatelli OR orecchiette OR elbow macaroni

elicoidali   Notes:   This Italian pasta consists of medium-sized, flat-cut tubes with spiraling ridges on the outside (elicoidali is Italian for "helix").   Substitutes:  rigatoni OR ziti OR elbow macaroni OR penne

garganelli    Pronunciation:   gar-guh-NAY-lee  Notes:   With its quill shapes, this type of Italian egg pasta resembles penne.  It's often served with a simple meat sauce.   Substitutes:  penne

macaroni = maccheroni    Pronunciation:  mac-uh-ROW-nee  Notes:   This tubular Italian pasta used to be made by wrapping pasta dough around knitting needles.  The term now refers to any small tubular pasta, all of which go well with chunky sauces.  Elbow macaroni is curved, and is traditionally used to make macaroni and cheese.  Substitutes:  farfalle OR conchiglie OR penne OR  rigatoni OR fusilli OR gemelli OR ruote OR ziti (broken into small lengths if long) OR perciatelli (broken into small lengths)

maccheroncelli  Pronunciation:  mack-er-own-CHELL-ee  Notes:  This is a long, tubular pasta.  It's good with heavy sauces or in casseroles.  Substitutes:  perciatelle

magliette  Pronunciation:  may-LYAY-tay  Notes:   This is a short, tubular variety of pasta.   Substitutes:   elbow macaroni OR ziti OR canneroni

maltagliati  Notes:   These short tubes of Italian pasta are great with chunky meat or seafood sauces.  Cooking time is 11 minutes.  Substitutes:  paccheri OR rigatoni OR elicoidali OR tortiglioni

manicotti   Pronunciation:  man-uh-COT-tee  Notes:  These large, ridged tubes are usually stuffed with ricotta cheese and spinach and then baked.  Substitutes:  cannelloni OR egg roll wrappers OR  lumaconi

mezzani  Notes:   This is a type of tubular Italian pasta that's short and curved.  Substitutes:  macaroni OR ziti

mostaccioli   Pronunciation:  muss-tah-chee-OH-lee  Notes:  These "little mustaches" are tubes of Italian pasta cut on the diagonal.  Substitutes:  penne OR ziti

 

paccheri   Notes:  These large pasta tubes are about an inch in diameter.  They collapse after they're cooked, trapping sauces within.     Substitutes:  rigatoni OR elicoidali OR tortiglioni

pasta al ceppo  Pronunciation:  PAH-stah al CHAY-poh   Notes:  This means "pasta on a stick" in Italian, and this tubular pasta was originally made by wrapping dough around knitting needles.   Substitutes:  macaroni

penne   Pronunciation:   PEH-neh    Notes:   This Italian pasta consists of short tubes cut on the diagonal, the better to scoop sauces inside.  It's very versatile, and works well mixed with a sauce, or in a casserole, soup, or pasta salad.   Penne rigate has ridges, the better to hold sauces.   Penne lisce has smooth walls.   Substitutes:  mostaccioli (shorter, wider tubes) OR ziti (break into small pieces if in long form) OR rigatoni OR elbow macaroni (use 1/3 less if measuring by volume) OR elicoidali OR ditali OR fusilli

pennette  Notes:  This is a smaller version of penne, a popular Italian pasta shape.  Substitutes:  ziti (break into small pieces if in long form) OR perciatelli (break into small pieces)

perciatelli = bucatini   Pronunciation:  pear-chuh-TELL-lee  Notes:  These are hollow pasta rods that are thicker than spaghetti.  They're usually served in casseroles or with hearty meat sauces, or they're broken up and served in minestrone soup.  Substitutes:  spaghetti (thinner rods) OR linguine OR fettucine

reginelle  Notes:  These pasta tubes are similar to penne, though a bit longer and thinner.   The name reginelle is also sometimes used for reginette pasta, which are wide ribbons with ruffled edges.   Substitutes:  penne OR ziti

rigatoni   Pronunciation:  rig-uh-TOE-nee  Notes:   These are big pasta tubes with ridges.  They're normally served with chunky sauces or baked in casseroles.  Substitutes:   penne OR elicoidali OR paccheri OR ziti OR elbow macaroni

tortiglioni  Notes:  This is a tubular Italian pasta that's often served with chunky sauces or in casseroles.  Substitutes:  penne (smaller) OR rigatoni OR paccheri OR elicoidali OR ziti (break into small pieces if long)

tufoli = canneroni grandi   Notes:  This large, tubular pasta is often stuffed and baked.  It also goes well with hearty sauces.  Substitutes:   cannelloni (larger) OR manicotti (larger)

ziti = zitti   Pronunciation:  ZEE-tee   Notes:  These come either as long, hollow rods or as short tubes, called cut ziti.  They're often baked in a casserole. Substitutes:  rigatoni OR penne OR elbow macaroni OR mostaccioli OR ditali OR ditalini OR elicoidali

 

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Copyright © 1996-2005  Lori Alden