noodles vs. Pasta - What's the difference?

When you cook spaghetti, do you refer to them as pasta or noodles?

There are various types of pasta and noodles, and they are very similar but not technically the same.

Both noodles and pasta can be incredibly versatile and it’s easy to confuse them because they sometimes look exactly the same.

When choosing noodles or pasta, it can be important to know the differences.

Although they have subtle differences, those characteristics have the potential to dramatically affect your dish and how it turns out in the end.

So what is the difference between pasta and noodles? The difference between pasta and noodles lies in their origin. The pasta is from Europe, mainly Italy, and the noodles are from Asia, originating in China. In general, noodles are also usually smoother and silkier than pasta, which is firmer and more robust, due to the different types of wheat used.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through a complete review of noodles and pasta.

We’ll take you through an overview of each of these items and share things like the ingredients that go into them, their textures and shapes, and even the types of dishes they can be used in.

All of this will be covered to help you understand how different they are.

Stay with us to know more about the differences between noodles and pasta.

Noodles

We have already mentioned that noodles originate from Asia. Noodles are usually softer because the type of wheat they are made from is also softer.

What happens is that the softer wheat makes the noodles lighter in color, as well as being silkier to the touch. Noodles tend to cook quickly and soften very quickly.

The noodles do not usually have a sauce, but can be served with broth or potentially with a stir-fry or soy sauce when made. It’s not like traditional pasta sauces.

With this in mind, there are always changes and new recipes available that can incorporate sauces into the recipe.

One of the biggest differences between noodles and pasta is the way you make them. This is what makes them different in the end.

The noodles are made using the roll and cut method. The roll and cut method uses a combination of salt water and organic flour.

From there, the dough is kneaded very well and then rests for a while . After resting, the dough is rolled up.

It can be done by hand, but now it is usually done with laminating machines. They can create different shapes of noodles with different thicknesses and sizes.

At the end of rolling, the noodles are cut to a certain length. Once cut, they are put to dry.

They are dried for a minimum of 30 hours and then further cut and packaged for distribution or use. Of course, with modern technology, there are also faster production methods.

Texture

The noodles are usually made in long strips that closely resemble spaghetti. We name spaghetti here just for comparison.  The texture will be different, being silkier and smoother compared to the robustness of spaghetti.

shapes and types

Traditionally, noodles do not have different shapes . They are usually long strips of noodles. However, they can be cut to different lengths and thicknesses.

There are several types of noodles, such as udon or soba, which differ in the thickness of the noodle itself.

Applications

There are quite a few different types of dishes that can be made with noodles. They are really versatile. What you will find is that most of the dishes made with noodles are Asian dishes and that is due to the origin of the noodle.

Here are some common noodle dishes that you might recognize:

• Thai noodle soup
• Yakisoba
• chowmein
• lo mein
• pho
• pad thai
• Udon Stir Fry or Soup
• chop suey
• laksah
• ramen noodles
• stir-fried noodles

Pasta

Now let’s move on to the pasta.

Pasta is native to Europe and can sometimes look a lot like noodles. However, pasta comes in all sorts of shapes, sizes, and textures , and there are endless options that fall under the pasta category.

Pasta is usually made with a variety of durum wheat, which is harder than the wheat used for noodles . This durum wheat gives the pasta that golden hue and makes it slightly harder to the touch and firmer when you bite into it.

Cooking softens it, but it is still slightly firmer and almost elastic in texture.

Pasta is usually served with some type of sauce. The sauce can be something as simple as oil and Parmesan or garlic, or it can be much more complex.

There are lots of different sauce options that can be combined with pasta. Italian dishes are great examples of pasta uses and sauce options.

The pasta dough is extruded to prepare the pasta. The dough is created, mixed and kneaded . The dough is then pressed and extruded to whatever shape or size is required to create the specific pasta in question.

Texture

The texture of the pasta is slightly elastic to the touch, especially once cooked . It is firmer than noodles, but is still flexible and versatile. It will be slightly stronger due to the nature of the durum wheat used.

Also, the pasta is made in such a way that the sauce sticks to it and mixes well with it. It absorbs and retains the sauce somewhat.

shapes and types

While the noodles only have a few different types, the pasta is very different. Pasta has a lot of different types and shapes.

Although many pasta shapes are long and cut similar to noodles, there are also many pasta shapes that have unique shapes and sizes.

These are some of the most common types of pasta

• Angel hair (long and fine)
• Spaghetti (long and not so thin)
• Bow tie paste (small, shaped like a bow tie)
• Ditalini (short tubes)
• Fettuccine (long, thin and flat)
• Rotini (spirals)
• Gnocchi (heavy, full and small)
• Lasagna (long, wide and flat)
• Linguine (long and flat)
• Macaroni (elbow tubes)
• Penne (two-inch tubes)
• Rigatoni (slightly thicker tubes)
• Shells (shell-shaped)

These are just a few. There are numerous types and shapes of pasta that are not on this list, but it gives you some of the most common ones.

Applications

Now we are going to compare some of the dishes and uses of pasta. Pasta is versatile and is usually accompanied by a sauce.

These are some of the most common dishes:

• lasagna
• macaroni and cheese
• goulash
• Spaghetti
• Fettuccine Alfredo
• Penne a la Vodka
• carbonara pasta
• Pasta salad
• Ravioli with meat sauce
• Ziti al Forno with 5 cheeses
• stuffed shells
• manicotti

Again, there are a large number of dishes and recipes that can be made with pasta. This list could really be endless. Feel free to try new things and seek inspiration as well. These are just a few popular options.

Final thoughts

Ok, now that we have talked about the differences between noodles and pasta, let’s do one last comparison and review of both.

Noodles and pasta may look similar, but they are actually very different and are used in different ways.

Noodles exist in a few varieties and are mainly used in Asian dishes. Noodles are used for things like stir-fries, soups, and similar dishes, and are often accompanied by some type of broth or soup.

The noodles tend to be soft and tender, and perhaps slightly silky in texture and feel. 

Instead, the pasta is slightly harder, but still soft when cooked . It just has a firmer overall texture and structure.

Pasta is a much broader category than noodles . Pasta comes in a ton of different shapes and sizes.

Pasta is also often served or combined with some type of sauce. It can also be served with something like oil and Parmesan or along those lines.