The difference
Orecchiette vs Cavatelli
Both are small Southern shapes dragged by hand, but orecchiette is a smooth concave ear pressed on a round disc, while cavatelli is a little rolled hull with a hollow down the middle. Orecchiette cups a sauce, cavatelli catches it in the fold.

Orecchiette
- Family
- Shaped shorts
- Size
- 9 to 25 mm across
- Surface
- Textured
- Cook
- 9 to 13 min
Wants: Broccoli rabe, Sausage ragu, Tomato with cacioricotta

Cavatelli
- Family
- Hand-formed regional
- Size
- not yet measured
- Surface
- Textured
- Cook
- 15 to 18 min
Wants: Sausage ragu, Broccoli rabe, Tomato sauce
Keep exploring
See the full profiles for Orecchiette and Cavatelli, or compare more shapes.
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