Yes they are Pasta .They also have them in Morrisons sometimes . They are just the sprouting tops from the stems of sprouts .But since being "rediscovered" by top chefs they are pricey. Morrisons wanted a couple of quid for about three tops.
They're always available on our local market stalls at this time of year .I can get a couple of pounds of them for a quid .
Like samphire which we buy here and always have ,very cheaply ,once things are described as "new" then they charge for them ,when in fact they've been around for years .