Why "awful" cannnot be the answer?

How would you say, "This pasta doesn't taste especially good?"

Distinction between quite bad and especially bad what is?

Couldn't "This pasta especially tastes bad" also work?

I had "This pasta tastes particularly bad." Not sure what the distinction is between especially and particularly in this case.

This pasta is extremely tasteless.. Why cannot

This pasta tastes specially bad. And Duolingo still says is incorrect