Gigli (Campanelle) — Cups to Grams

1 cup dry gigli = 90 grams. Also called campanelle ("little bells"), this Florentine lily-shaped cone pasta is one of the lightest per cup due to its large open hollow form. 16 oz box = 5 cups dry. 5.6g per tablespoon.

Variant
Result
90grams

1 cup Gigli (Campanelle) = 90 grams

Tablespoons16.1
Teaspoons47.4
Ounces3.17

Quick Conversion Table — Gigli (Campanelle)

CupsGramsTablespoonsTeaspoons
¼22.5 g4.02 tbsp11.8 tsp
⅓30 g5.36 tbsp15.8 tsp
½45 g8.04 tbsp23.7 tsp
⅔60 g10.7 tbsp31.6 tsp
¾67.5 g12.1 tbsp35.5 tsp
190 g16.1 tbsp47.4 tsp
1½135 g24.1 tbsp71.1 tsp
2180 g32.1 tbsp94.7 tsp
3270 g48.2 tbsp142.1 tsp
4360 g64.3 tbsp189.5 tsp

Gigli Weight by Form: Why This Pasta Is So Light Per Cup

At 90g per cup dry, gigli is among the lightest short pasta shapes per cup volume, sitting alongside farfalle (92g/cup) at the bottom of the density range for common pasta shapes. This low density is a direct consequence of the shape's geometry.

Dry (90g/cup): The retail standard form. The large open cone with its ruffled bell edge at one end creates pieces that simply cannot pack tightly. Each piece's cone interior creates a permanent air void, and the irregular ruffle edge prevents pieces from sitting flush against each other. Total air volume in a dry cup of gigli is approximately 60-65% of the cup volume — one of the highest air fractions of any short pasta. A 16 oz (454g) box yields approximately 5 cups, compared to 4.5 cups for radiatori (100g/cup) or 4.3 cups for penne (105g/cup).

Cooked (145g/cup): After absorbing water, gigli expands significantly. The cones open slightly and the ruffled edges become more pronounced and flexible. 1 cup dry (90g) yields approximately 1.6 cups cooked (145g). Total yield from a 16 oz box: approximately 8 cups cooked — more cups per box than most other pasta shapes because the cooked pieces are larger relative to their weight than compact shapes.

Whole-wheat dry (100g/cup): The higher fiber and bran content of whole-wheat increases per-piece weight by approximately 10% while the shape remains nearly identical. Pack efficiency is similar to regular gigli, hence the modest density increase to 100g/cup.

MeasureDry (g)Cooked (g)Whole-wheat dry (g)
1 tablespoon5.6g9.1g6.25g
1/4 cup22.5g36.3g25g
1/2 cup45g72.5g50g
1 cup90g145g100g
16 oz box (454g)~5 cups~8 cups~4.5 cups

Gigli vs Campanelle: The Name Confusion Explained

The same pasta shape carries two primary names in the Italian and Italian-American culinary tradition, which causes persistent confusion in recipes and at the grocery store.

"Gigli" (pronounced JEE-lee, Italian for "lilies") is the traditional Florentine name. Florence's historic symbol is the fleur-de-lis, known in Italian as "giglio" (singular of gigli). The pasta's shape — a cone with a ruffled, petal-like opening — evokes this heraldic lily. In Tuscan home cooking and traditional Florentine restaurants, this pasta is always called gigli. Finding "gigli" on an American supermarket shelf is relatively rare; it tends to appear in specialty Italian import stores and Italian-American delis.

"Campanelle" (pronounced cam-pah-NELL-eh, Italian for "little bells") is the more widely distributed American market name. It emphasizes the bell or trumpet shape of the cone rather than the flower association. De Cecco, Barilla's Italian operations, and most major Italian pasta manufacturers use "campanelle" as the standard commercial name. In the US, campanelle is stocked in some mainstream supermarkets alongside more common shapes like penne and fusilli.

A third name, "riccioli" (Italian for "curls"), is sometimes used by smaller producers to describe the same shape, emphasizing the ruffled edge rather than the cone form. All three names — gigli, campanelle, riccioli — refer to the same pasta. In any recipe using any of these three names, the others substitute perfectly.

The Dual Sauce-Holding Mechanism of Gigli

Gigli's functional superiority for certain sauce types comes from a structural feature no other common short pasta shares: simultaneous hollow interior filling and exterior edge trapping.

The hollow cone interior acts like a cup — when sauce is spooned or poured over cooked gigli, liquid sauce flows into the open cone end and fills the interior. Cream-based sauces, tomato-cream combinations (vodka sauce), and pureed vegetable sauces fill the cone and remain inside through serving, delivering concentrated sauce flavor at the center of each bite alongside the pasta.

The ruffled edge at the cone's wide opening functions differently — it acts as a net. When gigli is tossed with a chunky sauce (Bolognese with small meat pieces, vegetable sauces with peas or diced zucchini, pesto with pine nuts), the ruffle's folds catch and cradle small solid components. The result: each piece of gigli can simultaneously contain sauce in its cone and hold a small piece of meat or vegetable in its ruffle — delivering more sauce and texture per bite than a smooth tube like penne.

This dual mechanism is most effective with sauces of medium consistency — thick enough that sauce stays in the cone rather than draining immediately, but not so thick that it cannot flow into the cone during tossing. The ideal consistency: sauce that barely coats a wooden spoon and falls in slow, thick drops.

Tossing technique for gigli: Use a pan large enough for the pasta to tumble freely. Add cooked gigli to the sauce pan, toss gently using kitchen tongs or two large spoons — the cone shapes need room to catch sauce, and overcrowding prevents them from orienting correctly. Add pasta water in 2-tablespoon increments to maintain sauce fluidity. The cones should be visibly filled with sauce after tossing.

Classic Gigli Recipes with Precise Ratios

Gigli alla vodka (serves 4-6): 1 lb (454g, 5 cups dry) gigli cooked 10 minutes al dente. Sauce: render 4 oz (113g) diced pancetta in 2 tbsp olive oil until crispy, about 8 minutes. Add 2 minced shallots and 3 cloves garlic, cook 3 minutes. Add 1/2 cup (120ml) vodka, reduce by half, 3 minutes. Add 1 (28 oz, 794g) can crushed San Marzano tomatoes, 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, simmer 15 minutes. Add 3/4 cup (180ml) heavy cream, simmer 5 minutes until slightly thickened. Toss with gigli + 1/2 cup (50g) grated Parmigiano. Serves 4 generously as a main.

Gigli with Bolognese (serves 6): 1 lb gigli. Classic Bolognese: brown 1 lb (454g) ground beef + 4 oz (113g) ground pork in 2 tbsp olive oil. Add 1 cup each diced onion, celery, and carrot; cook until soft. Add 1/2 cup white wine, reduce. Add 1 cup whole milk, reduce. Add 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes + 2 tbsp tomato paste, simmer 90 minutes minimum (2 hours for best depth). Season. The ruffled gigli edges cradle the meat pieces — every bite delivers a piece of meat along with pasta. Finish with a small knob of butter off heat. Serves 6.

Gigli lemon cream (serves 4): 1 lb gigli. Sauce: 1 cup (240ml) heavy cream + zest of 2 lemons + juice of 1 lemon brought to a gentle simmer. Add 60g (1 cup) grated Parmigiano off heat. Season generously with cracked pepper. Toss with cooked gigli + fresh basil. Optional: add 200g smoked salmon torn into pieces in the last 30 seconds of tossing — the gigli cones hold salmon pieces as well as sauce. Serves 4.

Baked gigli with four cheeses (serves 6): 1 lb gigli cooked 7 minutes (underdone). Make sauce: 3 tbsp butter + 3 tbsp flour + 2.5 cups whole milk, cook until thickened. Off heat, stir in 100g each: grated gruyere, fontina, sharp cheddar, and Parmigiano. Season with nutmeg, salt, pepper. Combine with gigli in baking dish. The exposed gigli ruffles at the surface brown and crisp in the oven — a textural bonus that smooth pasta cannot offer. Bake 375°F (190°C), uncovered, 25 minutes until golden and bubbling.