Highest Protein Pasta (2026)
Regular wheat pasta runs about 12-13g protein per 100g dry — nowhere near enough to rank here. Every pasta below is either a legume-flour pasta (chickpea, red lentil, edamame) or a wheat pasta fortified with added protein, scored the same way as every other category: % of calories from protein.
10 products tracked · sorted by Protein Density (% of calories from protein)
Ranked by Protein Density
Percent of calories from protein. Secondary column is grams of protein per serving.
Filters10/10
Tiers are set by % of calories from protein
| Quality | Serving | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Organic Edamame & Mung Bean Fettuccine Explore Cuisine | 53.3% | 24g | 180 | 13.3g | 1.87g | Complete (mod.) | 56g |
| Organic edamame spaghetti Explore Cuisine | 53.3% | 24g | 180 | 13.3g | 1.87g | Complete (mod.) | 56g |
| Organic Black Bean Spaghetti Explore Cuisine | 48.4% | 23g | 190 | 12.1g | 1.79g | Complete (mod.) | 132.4g |
| RED LENTIL PENNE Barilla | 29.5% | 14g | 190 | 7.4g | 1.09g | Complete (mod.) | 56g |
| Red Lentil Rotini Barilla | 28.9% | 13g | 180 | 7.2g | 1.01g | Complete (mod.) | 56g |
| Red Lentil Spaghetti Barilla | 28.9% | 13g | 180 | 7.2g | 1.01g | Complete (mod.) | 56g |
| Organic Red Lentil Sedanini Trader Joe's | 28.2% | 13.4g | 190 | 7.1g | 1.05g | Complete (mod.) | 56g |
| Cavatappi made from chickpeas Banza | 27.4% | 13g | 190 | 6.8g | 1.01g | Complete (mod.) | 56g |
| Protein Made From Chickpeas Banza | 25.9% | 12.3g | 190 | 6.5g | 0.96g | Complete (mod.) | 56g |
| Rotini Made from Chickpeas Banza | 25.9% | 12.3g | 190 | 6.5g | 0.96g | Complete (mod.) | 56g |
Visualize the highest protein pasta
The same data, charted — see efficiency at a glance.
Top 10 by protein / 100 cal.
Bars colored by Protein Density (% of calories from protein) tier. Values in g/100cal.
- Explore Cuisine Organic Edamame & Mung Bean Fettuccine: 13.3 g/100cal (platinum tier), 24g protein, 180 kcal
- Explore Cuisine Organic edamame spaghetti: 13.3 g/100cal (platinum tier), 24g protein, 180 kcal
- Explore Cuisine Organic Black Bean Spaghetti: 12.1 g/100cal (platinum tier), 23g protein, 190 kcal
- Barilla RED LENTIL PENNE: 7.4 g/100cal (gold tier), 14g protein, 190 kcal
- Barilla Red Lentil Rotini: 7.2 g/100cal (gold tier), 13g protein, 180 kcal
- Barilla Red Lentil Spaghetti: 7.2 g/100cal (gold tier), 13g protein, 180 kcal
- Trader Joe's Organic Red Lentil Sedanini: 7.1 g/100cal (gold tier), 13.4g protein, 190 kcal
- Banza Cavatappi made from chickpeas: 6.8 g/100cal (gold tier), 13g protein, 190 kcal
- Banza Protein Made From Chickpeas: 6.5 g/100cal (gold tier), 12.3g protein, 190 kcal
- Banza Rotini Made from Chickpeas: 6.5 g/100cal (gold tier), 12.3g protein, 190 kcal
Calories per serving vs. protein per 100 cal. Up-and-left is more efficient. Labels show the top performers directly; tap or focus a dot for brand and exact numbers.
Too tight to label directly — numbered on the chart above:
- 1. Trader Joe's Organic Red Lentil Sedanini
- 2. Banza Cavatappi made from chickpeas
- 3. Banza Protein Made From Chickpeas
Too tight to label directly — numbered on the chart above:
- 1. Barilla RED LENTIL PENNE
- 2. Trader Joe's Organic Red Lentil Sedanini
- 3. Banza Cavatappi made from chickpeas
- 4. Banza Protein Made From Chickpeas
- 5. Banza Rotini Made from Chickpeas
| Food | Calories | Protein g per 100 cal | Protein (g) | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Explore Cuisine Organic Edamame & Mung Bean Fettuccine | 180 | 13.3 | 24 | platinum |
| Explore Cuisine Organic edamame spaghetti | 180 | 13.3 | 24 | platinum |
| Explore Cuisine Organic Black Bean Spaghetti | 190 | 12.1 | 23 | platinum |
| Barilla RED LENTIL PENNE | 190 | 7.4 | 14 | gold |
| Barilla Red Lentil Rotini | 180 | 7.2 | 13 | gold |
| Barilla Red Lentil Spaghetti | 180 | 7.2 | 13 | gold |
| Trader Joe's Organic Red Lentil Sedanini | 190 | 7.1 | 13.4 | gold |
| Banza Cavatappi made from chickpeas | 190 | 6.8 | 13 | gold |
| Banza Protein Made From Chickpeas | 190 | 6.5 | 12.3 | gold |
| Banza Rotini Made from Chickpeas | 190 | 6.5 | 12.3 | gold |
Static image of this chart (for sharing)
How highest protein pasta compares to every other category
Same Protein Density scoring, every category on one chart — some categories cluster at Platinum/Gold, others cluster at Silver/Avoid with zero Platinum picks.
Legume pasta vs. regular wheat pasta
Every pasta we track is legume-based — chickpea, red lentil, edamame, black bean. Here's how that compares to a plain wheat pasta reference value. The whole pulses themselves are ranked on highest protein legumes and beans.
Browse other categories
Same Protein Density scoring, different snack types.
Protein bars sorted by Protein Density.
Yogurts sorted by Protein Density.
Jerky and meat snacks sorted by Protein Density.
Protein chips sorted by Protein Density.
Protein ice creams sorted by Protein Density.
Protein cereals sorted by Protein Density.
Protein cookies sorted by Protein Density.
Cheeses and cottage-cheese variants sorted by Protein Density.
Protein-fortified oatmeal and overnight oats sorted by Protein Density.
Protein granola ranked by Protein Density — and why none of it reaches Gold.
Going beyond snacks
Pasta protein: common questions
Which pasta has the most protein?
Explore Cuisine Organic Edamame & Mung Bean Fettuccine leads: 24 g of protein in 180 kcal (a 56 g serving) — 53.3% Protein Density, Platinum tier. Runners-up: Explore Cuisine Organic edamame spaghetti (53.3%, 24 g) and Explore Cuisine Organic Black Bean Spaghetti (48.4%, 23 g).
How much protein is in pasta?
Protein ranges from 12.3 g to 24 g per serving across the 10 products we track (calories run 180-190 kcal); a typical serving lands around 13.2 g.
Is pasta a good source of protein?
Yes — every one of the 10 pasta products we track reaches Gold tier or better (at least 25% of calories from protein); 3 of them go further, to Platinum tier (40%+).