I’ve had protein on the mind a lot lately. In fact, I can’t remember ever thinking about protein as much as I have in the last year. It’s becoming such a big trend in the food (and beverage!) world that it seems like everything now comes in a high-protein variety.
One product that’s an obvious candidate for extra protein, in my opinion, is pasta. It’s a cheap, easy weeknight go-to for so many people. You can dress it up with a fun sauce and lots of veggies, or you can keep things straightforward with a simple marinara or pesto. Whether you’re cooking for yourself or your family, pasta is usually a safe bet—even with picky teens or toddlers. Adding protein to this beautifully versatile carbohydrate seems like a no-brainer for an added nutrient boost.
So I decided to put four protein pastas—Barilla, Brami, Banza and Goodles—to the test to see which one is the best. Now, “best” is fairly subjective, so I had to decide how I was going to measure that for this experiment. Since one of protein’s claims to nutritional fame is about keeping you fuller for longer, I wanted to see which of these protein pastas did that the best.
The Methodology
Hayley Schueneman For Taste Of Home
I used the same pasta shape for all four varieties. Penne is my favorite pasta shape, and it’s the one I always keep stocked in my pantry. I specifically chose to include two gluten-free options, since they’re made with flours that are naturally high in protein, like chickpea and pea flours.
My test took place over the course of four days. Each day, I picked a new protein penne and cooked a cup according to the box instructions. I paired the pasta with a plain marinara sauce, and had it for lunch. I tracked how long it took for me to feel hungry again, which meant no snacks in between lunch and dinner—a real test of my endurance as a certified snacker.
The Sauce
Hayley Schueneman For Taste Of Home
Now, since the plan was to eat a bowl of plain pasta for lunch every day for four days in a row, the sauce needed to be good. I used this Michael’s of Brooklyn marinara because I had read a lot of rave reviews. It’s cooked and jarred at the source—in the owner’s Italian restaurant in Brooklyn, NY. I’m so glad I used this sauce, because it is the best jarred marinara sauce I have ever tasted. It’s so simple, but so effective. I fear it has ruined me for any other jarred sauces!
Which is the best protein pasta?
4. Banza Penne
Hayley Schueneman For Taste Of Home
Cost: $3.99 for 8 ounces
Protein: 17 grams per serving
Duration of satiation: 3 hours and 30 minutes
Oh boy. Banza was the only true disappointment of the taste test. I don’t know if I’ve ever eaten a pasta that left me with more questions than answers. Especially considering how well the other gluten-free pasta fared during this experiment.
Even six minutes felt slightly too long to cook this chickpea pasta. It was very soft, and as I strained it, many of the noodles split or broke.
The instructions on the box indicated that the pasta needed to be drained and rinsed. Rinsing pasta stops the cooking process immediately, due to the temperature change, but it also means that the pasta will be colder when you serve it. I followed the instructions, though, and then tossed the noodles in sauce. The sauce didn’t cling well to the noodles, and that’s when I noticed something odd: My penne didn’t have ridges anymore. I looked back at the box, thinking maybe I bought mostaccioli by accident. But nope, it was penne, and the dry noodles had ridges. That means that the pasta didn’t hold its shape while it cooked.
Drama aside, the noodles were soft and not very pleasant to eat. I did stay full for 3 hours and 30 minute, but I was really grateful when I felt hungry again because I wanted to cleanse my palate of this disappointing dish. Considering how expensive this pasta is, I’d skip Banza in favor of the other three brands.
3. Barilla Protein+ Penne
Hayley Schueneman For Taste Of Home
Cost: $2.99 for 14.5 ounces
Protein: 17 grams per serving
Duration of satiation: 4 hours
Barilla’s new line of Protein+ pastas is a new development for the legacy supermarket pasta brand. This pasta is what I would expect from Barilla as a brand: good, consistent and widely available. The protein source is a combination of lentil flour, pea protein and chickpea flour.
I cooked this pasta for eight minutes, which led to softer noodles without that distinctive al dente bite. If you like a firmer noodle, cap the cook time at seven minutes. The water turned yellow as the pasta cooked, but it was the least foamy of the group. This made it more hands-off during the cooking stage than the other brands.
Barilla is the most budget-friendly option on the list, but it didn’t impress me as much as Brami or Goodles in terms of flavor and texture.
2. Goodles Gluten-Free Lucky Penne
Hayley Schueneman For Taste Of Home
Cost: $2.99 for 8 ounces
Protein: 14 grams per serving
Duration of satiation: 4 hours
I was completely impressed with the gluten-free Goodles Lucky Penne pasta. I’ve had the brand’s boxed protein mac and cheese and loved it, so I was excited to try its gluten-free offering made with chickpeas, yellow peas and chickpea protein. I was not disappointed!
I cooked this pasta for eight minutes, and I think that this is probably the longest it should be cooked; after that it will start to break down. Gluten-free pastas can be tricky to cook without getting mushy, so starting with a shorter cook time is better. The water gets super foamy as the pasta cooks, so I stirred it constantly to keep it from boiling over.
This pasta had a really nice bite to it, and the texture was great. In fact, I wouldn’t have known this was a gluten-free pasta if I hadn’t seen the box. There’s no weird aftertaste, flavor or texture. And I actually made the rest of the box into a pasta salad that kept in the fridge for two days without breaking down. This is genuinely revolutionary in the world of gluten-free, high protein pastas. It kept me full for four hours, which was equally impressive.
1. Brami Protein Pasta
Hayley Schueneman For Taste Of Home
Cost: $3.49 for 12 ounces
Protein: 21 grams per serving
Duration of satiation: 4 hours and 30 minutes
The Brami pasta is absolutely worth the hype it’s receiving on social media. The box was very nice, and it felt like a high-end pasta product. The pasta is made with just two ingredients: semolina durum wheat and lupini beans. It’s this Italian bean that adds protein to the pasta, and it’s been popping up as a high-protein snack and ingredient in a lot of foods over the past decade or so.
I cooked this pasta for 11 minutes, and it was perfectly al dente. The water got pretty foamy while I cooked, so I had to keep stirring it. The water also turned very yellow, but it didn’t affect the taste.
It had incredible texture and flavor, and the sauce clung to the penne ridges really nicely. I wanted to eat more, but I kept it to my one cup serving for the sake of the experiment. I had no hunger pangs for four and a half hours, and even then I wasn’t really that hungry. This is absolutely the best protein pasta I tried.
The Bottom Line
In terms of texture and flavor, Brami is the best protein pasta on the market. The Goodles pasta is also a sleeper hit, and I’m really glad that there’s such a high-quality gluten-free option on the market. Barilla is consistent, if not flashy, and Banza is disappointing.
I really think that these protein pastas are a great way to add nutrient density to your next meal. Dressing them up with whatever sauce, meats and veggies you want will make for a really satisfying dish. I’m surprised at how well these kept me full with just a basic marinara sauce, so imagine the pastabilities with fancier preparations!
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