Pasta is categorized in two basic styles: dried and fresh.

Dried pasta made without eggs can be stored for up to two years under ideal conditions, while fresh pasta will keep for a couple of days in the refrigerator.

Under Italian law, dry pasta (pasta secca) can only be made from durum wheat flour or durum wheat semolina.

A widely noted, finished consistency of pasta is called al dente (Italian for to the tooth), soft but with texture, sometimes even with bite in the center.