Rotini substitute

Best substitute

Fusilli

Use the same amount by weight as the rotini you are replacing

Best for pasta salad

Close match

Fusilli is a direct swap for rotini, one for one by weight, and in most shops the two names are used for the same thing. Cavatappi and gemelli are the next best choices. Rotini's job is mechanical rather than flavour: dressing and sauce lodge in the spiral grooves instead of draining to the bottom of the bowl. So if you swap to something smooth like penne lisce or farfalle, expect a noticeably drier, blander salad, and fix it by dressing a little more generously and letting the salad sit for twenty minutes before serving.

Other rotini substitutes

Ranked, with the exact amount to use

2Cavatappi
Close match
Use the same amount by weight
A hollow ridged corkscrew, sometimes labelled cellentani.
What changes
Best for
pasta salad, cheese sauce, creamy dressings, baked pasta
Arguably better than rotini in a cold salad, because the hollow centre traps a spoonful of dressing that the solid twist cannot. The bite is springier and more substantial, and the pieces are larger, so a bowlful looks like more pasta and less of the chopped vegetables and cheese around it.
3Gemelli
Different texture
Use the same amount by weight
Two lengths of dough twisted together, so it has a deep seam running down it.
What changes
Best for
pasta salad, vinaigrette dressings, pesto, baked dishes
Denser and chewier than rotini because it is solid twisted dough rather than a thin spiral, so the salad feels more filling and holds its texture for days in the fridge. Dressing collects in the seam rather than in grooves, which works just as well. It usually needs a minute or two longer to cook.
4Farfalle
Different texture
Use the same amount by weight
Bow ties, the other classic pasta salad shape.
What changes
Best for
cold pasta salad, creamy dressings, buffet dishes
Looks great in a bowl and gives a mixed bite of floppy wings and firm centre, but the flat surfaces shed a vinaigrette badly, so the salad tastes less dressed than the rotini version. Creamy dressings cling much better than oil-based ones. The wings also tear when you toss a heavy salad, so mix gently.
5Penne rigate
Different texture
Use the same amount by weight
Ridged short tubes; use the ridged version, not smooth penne lisce.
What changes
Best for
pasta salad, tomato sauce, baked pasta
Fine but flatter in every sense. The ridges give some grip and the tube holds a little dressing, yet penne has far less surface area than a corkscrew, so a thin Italian-style dressing runs off and gathers under the salad. The eating experience is also less interesting, since there are no twists catching herbs and bits of feta.
6Campanelle or radiatore
Different texture
Use the same amount by weight
Frilly ruffled shapes that grab dressing even better than a spiral.
What changes
Best for
pasta salad, pesto, creamy sauces
If your shop stocks either, they are excellent: the ruffles trap dressing, chopped herbs and crumbled cheese, so the salad tastes more strongly seasoned than the rotini original. The trade-off is that the frills soften quickly and go limp if overcooked or left in dressing for a couple of days.

What is Rotini?

Rotini is Rotini is a short pasta twisted into a tight ridged corkscrew, and it is the standard shape in American pasta salads.

Cooking tips

Rinse rotini under cold water only when you are making a cold salad. Rinsing stops the cooking and washes off the surface starch that would otherwise turn gluey in the fridge. For any hot dish, never rinse, because that starch is what makes the sauce stick.
For pasta salad, cook rotini about a minute past al dente. Pasta firms up considerably as it chills, so a salad made with perfectly al dente pasta tastes hard and chalky straight from the fridge.
Dress the pasta twice: once while it is still warm so it absorbs flavour into the grooves, and again just before serving, because chilled pasta drinks up a surprising amount of dressing.
Rottini is a very common misspelling of rotini and refers to the same pasta, as do the generic supermarket names spiral pasta and corkscrew pasta.
Spirals pack more densely than tubes, so if you are swapping rotini into a baked dish measured by volume, weigh it instead or you will end up with a dish that is short on sauce.

Frequently asked questions

Is fusilli the same as rotini?

In most North American shops, yes, and the two names are used interchangeably on the shelf. Strictly speaking, traditional fusilli has a longer, looser spring-like twist while rotini is a tighter, shorter corkscrew. Either one works in the other's recipes at the same weight.

What is the best substitute for rotini in pasta salad?

Fusilli first, then cavatappi. Both hold dressing in grooves or a hollow the way rotini does, which is the whole point of the shape in a cold salad. Avoid smooth shapes such as penne lisce, and be aware that farfalle and other flat shapes shed a thin vinaigrette.

Can I use rotini or its substitute in a baked pasta dish?

Yes, but drain it two to three minutes early. Thin spirals soften faster than tubes because there is no thick wall, so if you boil them fully they turn soft and shapeless once they have baked in sauce for half an hour.

Can I just leave the pasta out of a pasta salad?

You can, and you get a perfectly good chopped vegetable salad, but it is a different dish: the pasta is what makes it filling and what carries the dressing. Cooked and cooled orzo, chickpeas, white beans or cubed boiled potatoes all stand in as the starchy element.

Does whole wheat or gluten-free rotini behave the same?

Roughly, with two caveats. Whole wheat spirals taste nuttier and more assertive, which competes with a delicate dressing, and gluten-free corn or rice spirals turn soft quickly and get firm and slightly grainy in the fridge, so dress them generously and serve the salad the same day.

Related substitutes

More pasta & noodles substitutes

Rotini substitute

Other rotini substitutes

2Cavatappi

3Gemelli

4Farfalle

5Penne rigate

6Campanelle or radiatore