Are you finding it difficult distinguishing between vermicelli and capellini?

These varieties of pasta fall into the same category of pasta with long strands and a circular cross section.

Capellini and vermicelli are often mistaken for spaghetti, but they are variations of spaghetti that differ from regular pasta variety in thickness.

Vermicelli pasta is also not the same as capellini, there is a difference in the thickness of the strands of these pasta varieties.

Typically, vermicelli is thicker than capellini pasta with a diameter that is about twice the size of capellini.

In this post we are going to find out about vermicelli and capellini pasta, as well as how it affects the way that each of this pasta is used  

Vermicelli vs capellini

Size

Size is the most significant difference between the capellini pasta and vermicelli. Vermicelli pasta is larger in size compared to capellini.

Vermicelli pasta is thicker than capellini 

In the United States, vermicelli refers to a pasta with a smaller diameter than spaghetti and has a diameter below 1.5 mm 

Cappellini is an Italian word that is translated to mean hair 

Capellini pastas are also known as angel hair pasta, they are one of the thinnest pastas varieties with a diameter that is between 0.85 to 0.92 in diameter 

These pasta varieties are almost half the size of vermicelli and are even smaller when compared to regular spaghetti  

Cooking time

Vermicelli pasta and capellini are prepared similarly. 

They are made from the same ingredients as in other types of pasta including durum wheat, water and flours 

They are available in both the dry or fresh form, and they might feature different colors brought about by various food coloring ingredients.

However, a perk to using this variety of pasta is the shorter duration with which they take to be cooked by boiling 

this literarily translates to a shorter cooking time when they are being prepared since a greater surface area in contact with more of the heat 

Sauce

Once the pasta is put into the pot and is let to soften, once it is cooked al dente,  The excess water is drained from the pot. 

These pasta varieties are typically paired with a sauce 

However, the thickness of the sauce determines what pasta it can be used in. 

The smaller sized pasta goes well with lighter sauce with a milder flavor  

Vermicelli and capellini can be used interchangeably however it involves controlling the proportion to balance out.

Vermicelli noodles

In the US, Vermicelli pasta is also a slender long cut pasta with a circular cross section. 

Vermicelli may have a different meaning in Asian cuisine  

It could also refer to other noodles which aren’t pasta. For example, rice noodles and glass noodles are often referred to as vermicelli 

You may find them packed in bundles that look like nests.

In Conclusion  

Pasta varieties may have similar shapes, however, their sizes may be different.  

What is often used to differentiate these spaghetti-like pasta varieties is their diameter

There are several of them, and they may be larger or smaller in diameter than spaghettis  

Fedelini pasta is long, slender pasta variety that is similar to spaghetti but between 1.37mm to 1.47 mm 

Bucatini pasta is pasta varieties that is like spaghetti but fatter, and also with a hole running down its center.

linguine pasta It is also a long pasta variety that is like a ribbon, but it has an elliptical cross section.