Acini di pepe vs Stelline

Acini di pepe is tiny beads the size of peppercorns. Stelline is tiny five- or six-pointed stars with a hole in the centre.

Acini di pepe

Stelline

Side by side, to scale

10 mm

Acini di pepe: 2 to 3 mm by 2 to 3 mm

Stelline: 3 to 5 mm by 3 to 5 mm

Footprints from the length and width in each record, one scale for both. See every shape on the chart.

Family	Pastina	Pastina
Region	All of Italy	All of Italy
Section	Tiny beads the size of peppercorns	Tiny five- or six-pointed stars with a hole in the centre
Length	2 to 3 mm	3 to 5 mm
Width or diameter	2 to 3 mm	3 to 5 mm
Surface	Smooth	Smooth
Hollow	No	No
Dough	Semolina and water	Semolina and water
Cook time	6 to 9 min	5 to 7 min
Brands with a page	De Cecco	Rummo, Barilla, La Molisana
Catalogue numbers	De Cecco no. 78	Rummo no. 22, La Molisana no. 59
Cook time across brands	9 min	5 to 10 min
Brand dimensions	not measured	Rummo: 4.25 mm across
Energy, dry, per 100 g	371 kcal (dry semolina pasta)	371 kcal (dry semolina pasta)
Protein, dry, per 100 g	13.0 g	13.0 g
Products catalogued	18	10
Pairs with	In brodo, Minestrone, Pasta e ceci	In brodo, Minestrone, Pomodoro

Cooked in the broth it is served in. Clear soups, wedding soup, a chicken broth with egg. Too small for any sauce.

Broth. Or a spoonful of tomato passata for a child. Nothing to hold sauce.

Stelline for acini di pepe: yes, stars of the same size.

Acini di pepe for stelline: yes, beads of the same size.

Both take In brodo, Minestrone.

Only acini di pepe: Pasta e ceci.

Only stelline: Pomodoro.

Sources

Dimensions, surface, dough, and cook time: each shape page names the brand page, spec sheet, or measured box behind every figure.
Brands, catalogue numbers, brand cook times, and brand dimensions: the brand product pages linked on each shape page, read on 2026-08-25.
Energy and protein: USDA FoodData Central, per 100 g of the dough, public domain.
Products catalogued: Open Food Facts, Open Database License, read on 2026-08-25. A crowd database: a count is a floor.