noodle
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noodle / pasta
A food made from dough, usually from durum wheat semolina, water, and sometimes egg, produced in various shapes and cooked. Usually used in the plural.
Für die Kinder koche ich heute Nudeln mit Tomatensoße.
Today I'm cooking pasta with tomato sauce for the children.
The word 'Nudel' (noodle) is a very productive component in compound nouns related to food. Examples include 'Nudelsalat' (pasta salad), 'Nudelsuppe' (noodle soup), and 'Bandnudeln' (ribbon pasta/tagliatelle).
Im Sommer esse ich gerne einen leichten Nudelsalat.
In summer, I like eating a light pasta salad.
When talking about noodles or pasta as a dish or food, the plural 'Nudeln' is almost always used. The singular 'die Nudel' refers only to one individual piece.
Zum Abendessen gibt es heute Nudeln.
We're having pasta for dinner today.
In connection with preparing food, the most common verbs are 'Nudeln kochen' (to cook pasta/noodles) and 'Nudeln machen' (to make pasta/noodles).
Kannst du bitte schon mal die Nudeln kochen?
Could you please go ahead and cook the pasta?
Calling a person a 'Nudel' (little rascal/character) is colloquial and usually affectionate or joking. It is often used for children or people close to you, frequently in combination with an adjective.
Du bist vielleicht eine komische Nudel!
You really are a funny little character!
spaghetti
'die Nudel' and 'die Spaghetti' both belong to the topic of food and can therefore be easy to confuse. 'Nudel' is the general umbrella term for many shapes of pasta, for example short, wide, or filled noodles. 'Spaghetti' are a specific type: long, thin noodles. So you can say: spaghetti are noodles, but not every noodle is spaghetti. If the shape is important, 'Spaghetti' is more precise; if the type does not matter, 'Nudeln' is enough.
Ich koche heute Nudeln mit Gemüse, weil die Kinder schnell essen müssen.
Today I'm cooking pasta with vegetables because the children need to eat quickly.
Am Abend gibt es Spaghetti mit Tomatensoße und frischem Basilikum.
In the evening, we're having spaghetti with tomato sauce and fresh basil.