I Asked 3 Experts To Name The Best Protein Pasta—They All Said the Same Thing

Being half Italian, I grew up consuming loads of pasta. If it was Sunday or if anyone in my family was having a bad day, pasta was on the table. And as much as I crave a big bowl of pesto or arrabbiata, these days, I’m trying to increase my protein intake. Which means I’ve cut back on the pasta. 

It wasn’t until I was sharing recipe inspo with a friend the other day that I discovered an amazing fact: I don’t need to skip out on the pasta to hit my protein quota. As it turns out, there is such a thing as protein pasta.

Having never bought protein pasta before, I didn’t want to spend the money and the time on a bad bag of noodles. So, I reached out to some experts in the field to find out which brand they buy for their own homes. Here’s what they have to say.  

The Protein Pasta Experts 

• Hetal Vasavada: Recipe-developer and author of food blog Milk & Cardamom
• Ivan Beacco: Renowned Italian chef and founder of Red Inside Culinary in New York City
• Katie Vine: Food blogger and recipe-developer at Dinners Done Quick

The Best Protein Pasta, According to the Pros

The clear winner is Barilla Protein+. So what makes this protein pasta the best protein pasta? According to our three experts, it comes down to taste, texture, and a wide selection of shapes. 

“Barilla Protein+ is reliable and crowd-pleasing, plus it’s widely available,” says Beacco. Vasavada agrees: “Out of every brand I've tried … and I've tried many … I really love Barilla Protein+ the best!”

All three experts insist the Barilla Protein+ cooks and tastes just like your average noodle. That's a huge plus, since you won't need to worry about altering boiling time. You can cook it al dente or well done without worrying about it going soft, falling apart, or having too much chew.

Then, there's the flavor, which differs from other protein pastas. "You don't notice a weird taste in flavor at all, and that's really important," says Vine. Beacco attributes the easy, balanced taste to the pasta’s ingredient list. “The blend of lentil, chickpea, and pea protein has enough semolina to keep it tasting like actual pasta.” One serving (3.5 ounces) provides 17 grams of protein.

The texture of this protein pasta is also spot-on. It's not too soft or too firm. “Where many protein pastas have an off texture, you never have to make any concessions on texture with Barilla,” says Vasavada.

Beacco also likes how Barilla Protein+ holds shape "exceptionally well." The brand offers a number of different cuts, including angel hair, cellentani, elbows, farfalle, penne, rigatoni, rotini, spaghetti, and thin spaghetti. “I love that it's available in all sorts of shapes,” says Vine, “I can use it for spaghetti night, baked mac and cheese, and more.”

Clearly, you can use this pasta to make any dish you're craving. One tip, says Beacco, is that protein pasta absorbs more water than traditional pasta, and it may cook uneven if the pot is crowded. So grab a big pot with lots of space and get cookin’.