Pastina vs Stelline

Pastina is any tiny pasta for broth; the smallest grade of all. Stelline is tiny five- or six-pointed stars with a hole in the centre.

Pastina

Stelline

Side by side, to scale

10 mm

Pastina: 1 to 3 mm by 1 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	Any tiny pasta for broth; the smallest grade of all	Tiny five- or six-pointed stars with a hole in the centre
Length	1 to 3 mm	3 to 5 mm
Width or diameter	1 to 3 mm	3 to 5 mm
Surface	Smooth	Smooth
Hollow	No	No
Dough	Semolina and water	Semolina and water
Cook time	4 to 7 min	5 to 7 min
Brands with a page	Barilla	Rummo, Barilla, La Molisana
Catalogue numbers	not measured	Rummo no. 22, La Molisana no. 59
Cook time across brands	7 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	8	10
Pairs with	In brodo, Minestrone	In brodo, Minestrone, Pomodoro

Broth, butter, and parmesan. Or an egg beaten in at the end. It is comfort, not a sauce vehicle.

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

Stelline for pastina: yes, stars.

Pastina for stelline: yes, any tiny shape.

Both take In brodo, Minestrone.

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.