Campanelle substitutes
Campanelle substitutes — 6 options, ranked, with the exact amount
Use Radiatore
Same amount by weight as the campanelle
Farfalle, fusilli and cavatappi are the practical substitutes for campanelle, all one for one by weight, and radiatore is the closest match if your shop happens to carry it. Campanelle adds no flavour of its own; the ruffled edge and hollow cone exist to trap things, so peas, crumbled sausage, pesto and cream sauce lodge in the frills instead of sinking to the bottom of the bowl. Swap to a smooth shape and the same amount of sauce will taste like less, so toss the pasta in the pan with a splash of pasta water to make it cling.
- Verdict —
- Works
- Best for —
- cream sauce
Updated 26 Jul 2026 · no sponsored swaps
Every option, one card
Ranked| # | Substitute | Instead of campanelle | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Radiatorecream sauce | Same amount by weightWorks | Works |
| 2 | Fusilli or rotinipesto | Same amount by weightWorks | Works |
| 3 | Cavatappicheese sauce | Same amount by weightWorks | Works |
| 4 | Farfallecream sauce | Same amount by weightTweak it | Tweak it |
| 5 | Orecchiettesausage and broccoli rabe | Same amount by weightTweak it | Tweak it |
| 6 | Medium pasta shellscheese sauce | Same amount by weightTweak it | Tweak it |
Radiatore
similar taste and texture
Small ruffled shapes like tiny radiators, all frills and ridges.
- Best for
- cream sauce, pesto, pasta salad, sauces with small bits
The truest match for what campanelle does, because the ruffles catch sauce and small solids just as well. It is not hollow, so it holds less sauce inside, and the pieces are smaller and denser, meaning more pieces per forkful and a slightly chewier bowl. The one problem is availability, since fewer shops stock it than stock campanelle.
Fusilli or rotini
similar taste and texture
Corkscrew spirals with grooves running along the twist.
- Best for
- pesto, cream sauce, pasta salad, chunky vegetable sauce
Grooves grip a thin or oily sauce just as effectively as ruffles do, so this is the most reliable everyday swap. What you lose is the cup: without a hollow, small solids such as peas, corn and sausage crumbs no longer get caught, so they settle at the bottom of the bowl and the pasta itself tastes plainer.
Cavatappi
similar taste and texture
Hollow ridged corkscrews, sometimes labelled cellentani.
- Best for
- cheese sauce, cream sauce, baked pasta, pasta salad
The best choice for anything creamy or cheesy, because it keeps the hollow that campanelle has and adds ridges. The bite is springier and noticeably more substantial, and the pieces are bigger, so the dish feels heartier and slightly less delicate than a campanelle version.
Farfalle
similar taste, different texture
Bow ties, with thin wings and a firmly pinched centre.
- Best for
- cream sauce, peas and prosciutto, cold pasta salad, buttered vegetables
The likeliest shape to be in the cupboard, and it looks handsome. The bite is uneven by design, soft at the wings and chewy in the middle, and the flat surfaces shed pesto and oil-based sauces, so a thin sauce that clung to campanelle will run off. Creamy sauces cling much better than oily ones.
Orecchiette
similar taste, different texture
Small thumb-pressed discs from Puglia, cupped like little ears.
- Best for
- sausage and broccoli rabe, pesto, chunky vegetable sauce, olive oil sauces
The cupping works exactly like the campanelle cone, catching sausage crumbs, breadcrumbs and chopped greens in every piece. The texture is a real change: orecchiette is thick, dense and distinctly chewy, especially in the middle, so a light cream sauce dish becomes far more rustic and filling.
Medium pasta shells
similar taste, different texture
Cupped conchiglie, the fallback that almost everyone has.
- Best for
- cheese sauce, cream sauce, family meals, pasta salad
Honest answer: it does the trapping job well and loses all the visual charm. The cups hold sauce and small solids nicely, but shells are thin and softer, so the dish has much less chew than campanelle and can feel babyish. Shells also carry water inside, so drain them well or a cheese sauce will thin out.
Questions
5 questionsIs campanelle the same as gigli?
Yes. Gigli means lilies and campanelle means little bells, and some brands also sell the shape as riccioli. They are the same frilled hollow cone, and a recipe calling for one can use any of the others with no changes at all.
What is the best substitute for campanelle?
Radiatore if you can find it, since the ruffles behave the same way. Otherwise fusilli or rotini for oil-based and pesto sauces, and cavatappi for anything creamy or cheesy because it keeps the hollow centre. All swap in at the same weight.
Can I use penne instead of campanelle?
You can, but it is the weakest option here. Penne has smooth or only lightly ridged walls and far less surface area, so a thin sauce runs off and small ingredients such as peas or sausage crumbles fall away instead of being caught. Use ridged penne rigate rather than smooth, and toss it hard with pasta water.
Can I just leave the pasta out?
No, since the pasta is the meal rather than a flavouring. But the sauce is portable: serve it over gnocchi, rice, polenta, orzo or roasted vegetables. Just remember that only a shaped pasta traps the solid bits, so with rice or polenta the peas and sausage will sit on top instead.
Does campanelle work in a baked pasta dish?
Yes, and the ruffles catch cheese sauce nicely, but drain it three minutes early. The thin frilled edges break down faster than tubes do in the oven, and fully boiled campanelle comes out of a long bake soft with the ruffles gone.
Tips for substituting campanelle
5 tips- Campanelle is sold as gigli in Italian shops and riccioli in some brands, and generic labels sometimes call it bellflower or trumpet pasta. All of these are the same shape, so buy whichever name is on the shelf.
- Cook campanelle and its substitutes to a firm al dente and taste early. The frilled edges are much thinner than the body of the pasta, so they go floppy several minutes before the centre is done, and overcooked ruffles lose the grip that is the whole point of the shape.
- Stir gently. The frills are delicate and a hard boil or an aggressive toss tears them off, leaving you with plain hollow cones and a lot of pasta shreds in the sauce.
- This is the shape to pick when a sauce has small solid pieces: peas, sweetcorn, crumbled sausage, chopped bacon, toasted breadcrumbs or crumbled feta all wedge into the cone and the ruffles. If you swap to something smooth, chop those additions smaller so they cling instead of sinking.
- Because the cones are hollow and irregular, they hold a surprising amount of cooking water. Drain thoroughly and give the colander a shake before saucing, or a cream sauce will end up thinner than you expected.