Medium pasta shells substitutes
Medium pasta shells substitutes — 6 options, ranked, with the exact amount
Use Elbow macaroni
Same amount by weight as the medium pasta shells
Elbow macaroni and cavatappi are the two best substitutes for medium pasta shells, both one for one by weight, and orecchiette is an excellent choice if you want to keep the cupping. Shells contribute nothing to the flavour of a dish; their job is to scoop, so each shell carries a spoonful of cheese sauce, tuna mayonnaise or dressing inside it. Swap to penne or rotini and the sauce coats the outside instead and more of it drains to the bottom of the bowl, so the same recipe tastes slightly drier. Add a couple of extra spoonfuls of sauce and it evens out.
- Verdict —
- Works
- Best for —
- macaroni cheese
Updated 26 Jul 2026 · no sponsored swaps
Every option, one card
Ranked| # | Substitute | Instead of medium pasta shells | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elbow macaronimacaroni cheese | Same amount by weightWorks | Works |
| 2 | Cavatappimacaroni cheese | Same amount by weightWorks | Works |
| 3 | Orecchiettechunky vegetable sauce | Same amount by weightTweak it | Tweak it |
| 4 | Rotini or fusillipasta salad | Same amount by weightTweak it | Tweak it |
| 5 | Ditalinisoups | Same amount by weightTweak it | Tweak it |
| 6 | Penne or farfalletomato sauce | Same amount by weightTweak it | Tweak it |
Elbow macaroni
similar taste and texture
Short curved tubes, the other classic macaroni cheese and pasta salad shape.
- Best for
- macaroni cheese, tuna pasta salad, baked pasta, soups
The most reliable everyday swap, especially for anything cheesy. Sauce runs through the curve rather than being cupped, so slightly less clings per piece and the dish tastes marginally less rich, but the pieces are similarly small so the eating experience barely changes. Elbows also drain more completely, which is an advantage for a cheese sauce.
Cavatappi
similar taste and texture
Hollow ridged corkscrews, sometimes sold as cellentani.
- Best for
- macaroni cheese, creamy pasta salad, baked pasta, tomato cream sauce
Often better than shells for a cheese sauce, because it holds sauce in the hollow and in the ridges at once. The pieces are larger and springier, so the dish eats chunkier and more grown-up and there are fewer pieces per spoonful. Use it when you want a macaroni cheese with more chew.
Orecchiette
similar taste, different texture
Small thumb-pressed discs from Puglia, cupped like little ears.
- Best for
- chunky vegetable sauce, sausage and greens, pesto, pasta salad
The closest match for what shells actually do, since the cup catches sauce and small solids just as well. The texture is a big step up in chewiness: orecchiette is thick and dense, especially at the centre, so a soft macaroni cheese becomes noticeably more rustic and takes longer to cook.
Rotini or fusilli
similar taste, different texture
Corkscrew spirals with deep grooves.
- Best for
- pasta salad, pesto, tomato sauce, baked pasta
Grooves hold a thin dressing well, so this is a strong swap in a cold salad and a weaker one in a cheese sauce, where there is no hollow to catch the sauce and more of it slides to the bottom. Spirals are also thinner than shells and go soft faster, so watch the timer and drain early for any baked dish.
Ditalini
similar taste, different texture
Very short little tubes, about the size of a thimble.
- Best for
- soups, pasta e fagioli, small-format pasta salad, children's meals
The right choice if the shells were destined for a soup, because ditalini fits on a spoon and does not trap broth the way a cupped shell does. In a macaroni cheese it works but changes the character: many more pieces per bite, a denser and more uniform texture, and less sauce held per piece so the dish can seem stodgy.
Penne or farfalle
similar taste, different texture
The honest fallback shapes rather than good matches.
- Best for
- tomato sauce, baked pasta, using what you have
Both are usable and both are noticeably worse at the one thing shells do. Penne is too large for a macaroni-style dish and its straight walls let sauce run through; farfalle's flat wings shed sauce and can tear when tossed. Where shells hold sauce inside, these coat the outside and the rest gathers under the pasta, so expect a drier bowl and add extra sauce.
Questions
5 questionsWhat is the best substitute for medium pasta shells?
Elbow macaroni for anything cheesy or baked, cavatappi if you want a chewier, more substantial version of the same dish, and orecchiette if you want to keep the cupped shape that traps sauce. All three swap in at the same weight.
Are conchiglie and medium pasta shells the same thing?
Yes, conchiglie is simply the Italian name for shell-shaped pasta. Conchiglioni is the jumbo stuffing size and conchigliette is the tiny soup size, so look at the picture on the box to be sure you have the medium shells a recipe means.
Can I use shells instead of elbow macaroni in macaroni cheese?
Absolutely, and many cooks prefer it because each shell scoops up a pocket of sauce. Use the same weight. The only adjustment is to drain the shells well, since water trapped in the cups will thin out your cheese sauce.
Can I just leave the pasta out?
Not from a pasta dish, since the shells are the meal rather than a seasoning. A cheese sauce is genuinely good over steamed cauliflower, broccoli or baked potatoes, and a tuna and mayonnaise salad works with cooked cooled potatoes or chickpeas instead of pasta.
Why do my shells always stick together?
Because they nest. One shell slips inside another as they soften and the two cook as a single thick lump. Use a large pot with plenty of well-salted water, stir immediately after you add them and again a minute later, and keep the water at a steady boil rather than a bare simmer.
Tips for substituting medium pasta shells
5 tips- Medium shells, jumbo shells and tiny soup shells are not interchangeable, even though all three are conchiglie. Jumbo shells are for stuffing, medium shells are the macaroni cheese and tuna salad size, and the smallest are for soup. Check the shape on the box, not just the word shells.
- Shells nest inside one another the moment they hit the water, so stir them within the first thirty seconds. Clumped shells cook unevenly, leaving you with a mix of mushy outsides and hard centres.
- Drain shells thoroughly and shake the colander. Each shell holds a little cooking water in its cup, and that trapped water is the usual reason a homemade cheese sauce goes thin and grainy after it meets the pasta.
- For tuna or cold pasta salad, rinse cooked shells under cold water to stop the cooking and wash off surface starch that turns gluey when chilled. For a hot cheese sauce, never rinse, because that starch is what makes the sauce cling.
- The cupping means shells carry more sauce per bite than a smooth shape, so a recipe written for shells can taste over-sauced if you swap in penne, and under-sauced going the other way. Adjust by a couple of spoonfuls rather than reworking the recipe.