The difference
Tonnarelli vs Bucatini
Both carry the Roman sauces, cacio e pepe, amatriciana, and carbonara, but they are built in opposite ways. Tonnarelli is a square-section egg strand, 2 to 3 mm per side, cut on a wire-strung chitarra that leaves the surface rough enough to grip an emulsified cheese sauce. Bucatini is an extruded round strand about 3 mm across with a channel of roughly 1.5 to 2 mm through its length, which draws sauce inside. Pick tonnarelli for cacio e pepe, bucatini for guanciale and reduced tomato.
Tonnarelli
- Family
- Long strands
- Size
- 2 to 3 mm wide
- Surface
- Textured
- Cook
- 6 to 13 min
Wants: Cacio e pepe, Amatriciana, Carbonara
Bucatini
- Family
- Long strands
- Size
- 250 to 300 mm long
- Surface
- Smooth
- Cook
- 7 to 11 min
Wants: Amatriciana, Gricia, Cacio e pepe
Keep exploring
See the full profiles for Tonnarelli and Bucatini, or compare more shapes.
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