Key Difference:  Pasta is a popular food from Italy. It is made from a dough of grain floor. Many different types of dishes can be prepared by the pastas using different ingredients. They are usually differentiated on the basis of their shapes.

The word pasta comes from an Italian word which means 'paste'. These pastas are popular dishes throughout the world. This Italian gift is made by a dough of grain flour which is mixed with water, and then molded in different shapes and sizes. Usually, wheat grain is used as the core ingredient for making pastas. However, other grains may also be used as a substitute for the wheel flour.

Generally, pasta is cooked in boilng water. When it is properly boiled it is drained and then dressed. Dressing refers to the step where it is mixed with sauces or other food items like chees, vegetables, etc. It can also be served while submerged in soups. There are numerous types of pasta shapes around the world.

Pastas can be differentiated on the basis of various contexts like shape, main ingredient for flour, etc.  There are numerous varieties of pasta – like brown rice pasta is made from ground whole brown rice,  buckwheat pasta is made from the grass, whole wheat couscous is made from refined wheat flour, and many more.

However, most commonly they are differentiated on the basis of the shapes. The popular types include -

Rotini – The word is derived from Italian word which means ‘small wheels’. These pastas are spiral types and are tightly winded. Originally, they are 2 edged spirals but sometimes, they also come in 3-edged varieties. This pasta is suitable for olive oil or tomato sauces as they stick to the corkscrews.

Fusilli - This pasta is very similar to rotini, and therefore many consider them to be the same. However, there is a small difference. Rotini pasta is actually made from flat pasta which is twisted later. However, Fusilli pasta is made by already twisted strand of pasta. Like Rotini, it is also not hollow and therefore is not able to retain sauce much, rather it soaks up the sauce which gives a good flavor.

Vermicelli- The word vermicelli means little worms. This pasta is thinner in comparison to spaghetti. These are round typed strands. Asians make it with semolina. In India, a variety of recipes makes use of this pasta and is known as seviyan. This long and slender pasta is cooked in differ ways around the word.

Conchiglie- This is a Latin word which stands for little shells.  This pasta falls in the category of decorative shapes type pasta. Conchiglioni is a larger version of this pasta which can be stuffed too.  This pasta is also known as seashells.  Another variety of this pasta is Conchigliette which is suitable for soups. Hard wheat is often recommended for making this type of pasta as then the pasta tend to be firmer after cooking and retain sauces and stuffing properly.

Ravioli – This is dumpling pasta which means that it has a filling inside it. This is one of the traditional pastas. The word Ravioli refers to ‘ turnip’. It can be prepared with veg or non-veg filling according to the taste. Generally, the casing is square in shape and 3X3 cm. Ravioli stuffed with cheese is very popular.

Fettuccine – These are in the shape of ribbons which are approximately 6.5 millimeters wide. It means little slices. It is usually made of floor and egg. It is usually served with butter or oil based sauces. Fettuccelle is a pasta which is a narrow version of fettuccine, whereas fettuce is the wider version of fettuccine.

Capelline – The word capellini means little hair. This pasta is thinner in comparison to vermicelli.  It can be prepared in sauces made by ingredients like butter, oil, cream, cheese, pesto, soup, tomato, vegetable, etc.  Any type of delicate pasta sauce works with these thin long strands of round pasta.

Spaghetti – This is the most common round rod shaped pasta. The word spaghetti means little twines. Larger versions of these pastas are known as spaghettoni, whereas smaller versions are known as spaghettini. This pasta taste wonderful with meat and tomato sauce. This is one of the oldest known pasta shapes and therefore has a special place in the heart of pasta lovers.

Tortellini – The word tortellini means little pies. It is a ring shaped pasta which is stuffed with a mixture of meat and cheese.  Usually, this pasta is served in broth. Its variation tortelloni pasta is similar to it. However, they are larger than tortellini and have a stuffing of vegetables and cheese.

Lasagne – It is the most popular baked pasta. This pasta is in form of strips.  The dish is usually prepared by creating alternating layers of pasta, vegetables, meat or fish, and sauce.  The word lasagna means cooking pot. These wide noodles usually consist of grooved edges. Its narrower version is known as lasagnette, whereas its longer version is known as lasagnotte.

Macroni – this narrow tube shaped pasta is also popular. It is used for preparing soups, stews and dishes. It comes in numerous shapes and sizes. Usually, it is made from durum Wheat. However, it can also be prepared by using other types of grain flours also. It is also sometimes known as elbow pasta.

Farfalle – The word farfalle means butterflies. It refers to bow tie or butterfly shaped pasta. It is also covered under decorative shaped pastas like Cavatelli and Capunti. Its larger version is known as falfalloni. Farfalloni have soft ridges on their surface for retaining sauce over it.

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