Macaroni vs. Pasta — What's the Difference?

A type of pasta with a narrow, tube-shaped form.

Encompasses a range of culinary uses from salads to main courses.

Typically made from durum wheat.

An Italian cuisine staple that comes in numerous shapes and sizes.

Commonly found in Western cuisine.

Integral to many international dishes.

Often used in comfort food dishes.

Can be made with a variety of ingredients including eggs.

Associated with simple, hearty meals.

Reflects a wide range of cooking techniques.

Macaroni (, Italian: maccheroni) is dry pasta shaped like narrow tubes. Made with durum wheat, macaroni is commonly cut in short lengths; curved macaroni may be referred to as elbow macaroni.

Pasta (US: , UK: ; Italian pronunciation: [ˈpasta]) is a type of food typically made from an unleavened dough of wheat flour mixed with water or eggs, and formed into sheets or other shapes, then cooked by boiling or baking. Rice flour, or legumes such as beans or lentils, are sometimes used in place of wheat flour to yield a different taste and texture, or as a gluten-free alternative.

Pasta in the shape of narrow tubes.

A dish originally from Italy consisting of dough made from durum wheat and water, extruded or stamped into various shapes and typically cooked in boiling water.

An 18th-century British dandy who imitated continental fashions.

Unleavened dough, made with wheat or other flour, water, and sometimes eggs, that is molded into any of a variety of shapes and boiled.

Pl. macaroni Pasta in any of various hollow shapes, especially short curved tubes.

A prepared dish containing pasta as its main ingredient.

A well-traveled young Englishman of the 1700s and 1800s who affected foreign customs and manners.

(uncountable) Dough made from wheat and water and sometimes mixed with egg and formed into various shapes; often sold in dried form and typically boiled for eating.

A fop.

(uncountable) A dish or serving of pasta.

(uncountable) A type of pasta in the form of short tubes; sometimes loosely, pasta in general.

(countable) A type of pasta.

A fop, a dandy; especially a young man in the 18th century who had travelled in Europe and who dressed and often spoke in an ostentatiously affected Continental manner.

Any of a variety of edible unleavened doughey preparations made from flour, eggs and water, originating in Italy, and shaped into various forms, such as solid strings (as spaghetti), hollow tubes, or layered squares (ravioli). They may be mixed with various sauces, often having a tomato base, or filled with meat or cheese fillings.

(obsolete) A macaroon.

Shaped and dried dough made from flour and water and sometimes egg

(historical) Chic, fashionable, stylish; in the manner of a macaroni.

Long slender tubes made of a paste chiefly of a wheat flour such as semolina, and used as an article of food; a form of Italian pasta.

A medley; something droll or extravagant.

A sort of droll or fool.

A finical person; a fop; - applied especially to English fops of about 1775, who affected the mannerisms and clothing of continental Europe.

The designation of a body of Maryland soldiers in the Revolutionary War, distinguished by a rich uniform.

A British dandy in the 18th century who affected Continental mannerisms;

Pasta in the form of slender tubes

Yes, macaroni is a subtype of pasta.

Macaroni is often used in macaroni and cheese, casseroles, and soups.

Pasta can be made from durum wheat flour, all-purpose flour, and sometimes includes eggs.

Macaroni is a specific type of pasta with a tube-like shape, while pasta includes a variety of shapes and styles.

Pasta can be part of a balanced diet, providing carbohydrates and, depending on the ingredients, some protein and vitamins.

Yes, there are gluten-free pastas made from corn, rice, or other gluten-free grains.

Popular pasta dishes include spaghetti Bolognese, lasagna, and fettuccine Alfredo.

Pasta is best cooked al dente, which means it should be tender but still firm to the bite.

Macaroni is usually boiled and can be baked in dishes like macaroni and cheese.

Yes, pasta is a staple in many vegetarian dishes.