Rotelle
Also known as: ruote, wagon wheels, wheel pasta
Short pasta in the shape of a wheel: spokes joined to a ridged rim, like a cog wheel.
Rotelle (“cog wheels”) are a short pasta with a round shape: according to De Cecco, spokes joined to a ridged rim. De Cecco explains that from the early twentieth century many pasta shapes were inspired by mechanics and the automotive industry, such as radiatori (radiators) and lancette (clock hands), and that rotelle are a result of this tradition.
De Cecco's Rotelle n.54 come in 500 g packs and cook in 12 minutes (10 for al dente). De Cecco recommends them with tomato sauce, with or without meat, in broth and minestrone soups, and in pasta salads.
Barilla sells a similar wheel-shaped pasta under another name, Racing Wheels (formerly Mini Wheels), which cooks in 7–8 minutes; Barilla suggests simple sauces and pasta salad.
Facts
| Raw material | Durum wheat semolina |
|---|---|
| Duration | 12 min (De Cecco n.54) |
| Main use | Tomato sauce, broth and minestrone, pasta salads |
What it includes
- Afeltra Antiche Ruote
- Banza Chickpea Wheels
- Barilla Gran Ruote
- Barilla Piccolini Mini Ruote
- Benedetto Cavalieri Rotelle n.31
- Benedetto Cavalieri Ruote Medie n.32
- Colavita Wagon Wheels
- De Cecco Rotelle n.54
- De Cecco Rotelline n.55
- Delverde Rotelle n.47
- Divella Rotelle n.43
- Garofalo Ruote n.31
- Gentile Le Ruote
- Granoro Dedicato Rotelle n.93
- La Fabbrica della Pasta Ruote IGP
- La Molisana Rotelle n.71
- Liguori Ruote
- Ronzoni Rotelle
- Rustichella d'Abruzzo Ruote di Carro
- Setaro Ruote
How it connects to Pasta
Rotelle → kind of → Dry durum wheat pasta → kind of → 🍝 Pasta
Links
- What it contains
- Semolina, 🌾 Durum wheat
- Part of
- Dry durum wheat pasta
- Similar and different
- Gentile Pappa & Pomodoro, Colavita Classic Cuts, La Fabbrica della Pasta Gli Aromatizzati
Frequently asked questions
What are rotelle?
A short pasta in the shape of a wheel: De Cecco describes spokes joined to a ridged rim, like a cog wheel.
How long do rotelle cook?
De Cecco gives 12 minutes (10 for al dente) for Rotelle n.54.
What do rotelle go with?
De Cecco recommends tomato sauce with or without meat, broths and minestrone, and pasta salads.
What to read next
- Semolina — Coarse, yellowish meal ground from durum wheat: the main raw material of dry pasta.
- Gentile Pappa & Pomodoro — Pastificio Gentile's children's line from Gragnano: small organic pasta shapes – letters, pipe rigate, wheels, pennette and fusilli.
- 🌾 Durum wheat — A wheat species with very hard grain and strong gluten, milled into semolina for dry pasta and couscous.
- Colavita Classic Cuts — Colavita's core dry pasta range from Molise, made from durum wheat and mountain spring water: about 30 traditional shapes.
- La Fabbrica della Pasta Gli Aromatizzati — Flavoured dry pasta by La Fabbrica della Pasta: with chilli, spinach or Sorrento lemon juice, and tricolour shapes.
Similar
Acini di pepe · Fregula · Gemelli · Radiatori · Campanelle · Manicotti