Here's everything worth knowing about pasta, spirelli and how to pick it, what it is, how to store it, and what to use instead, plus 2 recipes to cook tonight.

What is pasta, spirelli?

Spirelli is a short spiral pasta, the springy little corkscrew shape sold under that name mostly in German and central European markets. On a North American shelf the same shape goes by fusilli or rotini.

It is ordinary durum semolina pasta, sometimes made with spinach or tomato for a tri-color mix. The tight spiral and its ridges are what matter: they grab onto dressing and sauce and hold small bits of vegetable in every twist.

How to Use Spirelli

Dried spirelli cooks in about 7 to 9 minutes for al dente, and it keeps its bite well, which is why it is a fixture in cold pasta salads.

The spiral catches dressing and chopped vegetables so each forkful is evenly coated, as in this Tasty Veggie Spirelli Salad. The same grip lets it carry a chunky tomato or meat sauce, and it holds its shape in a brothy bowl like Fresh Minestrone Soup without going limp.

For a salad, drain the spirelli and toss it with a little dressing or oil while it is still warm. Warm pasta drinks up flavor; once it cools the spirals stop absorbing and just sit there.

Pairing and Common Mistakes

Spirelli wants sauces and dressings with some body. Vinaigrettes, pesto, creamy dressings, chunky tomato sauce all cling to the twists. A thin, watery sauce slides off the smooth outer curve and pools at the bottom of the bowl, leaving the pasta bland.

The usual mistake with any salad pasta is undercooking it for fear of mush. Cold pasta firms up as it chills, so a spirelli that felt right in the pot can taste hard and chalky in the fridge. Cook it fully to al dente, no earlier.

If the salad sits overnight, the spirals keep absorbing dressing and dry out, so hold back a little dressing to toss in just before serving.

What to Substitute

Spirelli is interchangeable with the shapes it copies: fusilli, rotini, or any short corkscrew pasta works one-for-one in salad, soup, or with sauce.

Beyond the spirals, medium shells and farfalle (bow ties) catch dressing nearly as well in a salad, and short ridged tubes like penne hold chunky sauce fine. Smooth elbow macaroni works in a pinch but grabs less, so the dish reads plainer.

Buying and Storage

Look for spirelli in the regular pasta aisle, often under an imported or German brand, or just buy fusilli or rotini, which are the same thing. Tri-color boxes add color to a salad without changing how it cooks.

Dried spirelli keeps about two years in a sealed container in a cool, dark cupboard. Once opened, move it to a jar so it stays dry and does not pick up cabinet odors, and discard it if you ever spot pantry-moth webbing.

Cooked spirelli holds three to four days in the fridge. A made-ahead salad firms up and dries out as it chills, so refresh it with a splash of dressing and a quick toss before it goes to the table.

For general boiling and salting basics, see the main pasta guide.

Quick facts

In Chinese

面食，spirelli

British (UK) term

Pasta, spirelli

en français

pâtes, spirelli

en español

pasta, Spirelli

Recipes using pasta, spirelli

There are 2 recipes that contain this ingredient.

All 2 recipes