Karmic Kale Pasta Salad

Gemilli vs. Fusilli Pasta

Gemelli and fusilli might look like pasta twins, but they’re more like distant relatives with a shared love of spirals. 

If you’ve ever stood in the pasta aisle squinting at the shelves wondering which is which, let me clear things up.

The difference between fusilli and gemelli comes down to how they’re shaped:

Fusilliis made by twisting a flat strip of pasta around a rod, creating a tight, corkscrew-like shape with deep grooves. These grooves mean fusilli does an excellent job of holding onto thick sauces and creamy dressings, making it a good choice for heartier salads.

Gemelli, despite looking like two strands twisted together, is really just one strand of pasta twisted around itself. This gives it a subtle spiral with a smoother surface. It has a slightly firmer, chewier bite and works great paired with lighter dressings that won’t weigh it down.

I use gemelli in this Karmic Kale Pasta Salad because it holds just enough dressing and it doesn’t dominate the other ingredients. There’s lots of competition for your attention in this big, beautiful salad! 

Gemelli gives you the best of both worlds—just enough texture to grip the dressing, with a satisfying chew in every bite. 

It’s the TWIST you didn’t know your salad needed.

But now you do.