Protein Pasta: What It Is, How Much Protein It Has, and Who It Suits
Protein pasta is pasta in which part of the wheat flour has been replaced with a concentrated protein source. That gives it two to three times the protein of regular pasta and correspondingly fewer carbohydrates. It cooks the same way ordinary pasta does.
It is also sold as high-protein pasta — the same product under a different name.
How much protein protein pasta actually has
It depends on what replaced the flour. Real figures, per 100 g of dry product:
| Product | Protein | Carbohydrates | Fibre |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protelle (sunflower protein) | 33 g | 40 g | 12 g |
| Chickpea pasta (Barilla) | 21.4 g | 60.7 g | 14.3 g |
| Red lentil pasta (Barilla) | 25.0 g | 60.7 g | 10.7 g |
| Barilla Protein+ (wheat plus pea, lentil, chickpea) | 17.9 g | 67.9 g | 8.9 g |
| Standard durum wheat pasta | 13.0 g | 74.7 g | 3.2 g |
So "protein pasta" covers a range of roughly 18 to 33 g of protein per 100 g rather than one number. Always read the panel on the pack in front of you.
What it is made from
- Legumes. Pasta milled entirely from chickpea or lentil flour. High in protein and fibre, but with a pronounced legume flavour and a different texture — it does not behave like ordinary pasta.
- Wheat with added protein. Regular flour plus pea or another plant protein. Closer to the familiar taste, but a smaller protein gain.
- Seed protein. This is Protelle's route: sunflower protein combined with wheat protein, wheat and corn flour and fermented brown rice. Sunflower protein is mild and neutral — unlike most plant proteins — so the pasta keeps a familiar flavour, and it carries the most protein in the table above.
What the swap actually changes
Protelle against standard durum wheat pasta, per 100 g:
- protein 33 g against 13 g — two and a half times as much;
- carbohydrates 40 g against 74.7 g — close to half;
- fibre 12 g against 3.2 g.
Under EU Regulation 1924/2006 Protelle meets the definitions of high protein (protein supplies 39.8% of the energy, against a 20% threshold), high fibre (12 g against a 6 g per 100 g threshold) and low fat (2.2 g against a 3 g per 100 g threshold).
Who it suits
- Anyone counting daily protein. A 100 g portion of dry Protelle provides 33 g of protein — about what 150 g of chicken breast provides.
- Vegans and vegetarians. Protelle is 100% plant-based. Legume and seed pastas generally are too, but check the ingredients: some high-protein pastas contain egg white.
- Anyone watching carbohydrates. 40 g against 74.7 g per 100 g is a real difference within a single meal.
Who it does not suit: Protelle contains wheat protein and wheat flour, so it contains gluten and is not suitable for anyone with coeliac disease or gluten intolerance. Chickpea and lentil pasta are unsuitable with a legume allergy. If you have a diagnosed food allergy or specific dietary needs, speak to your doctor.
Does it cook differently
Legume-based protein pasta often overcooks quickly and needs watching. Protelle cooks like ordinary pasta: 8–10 minutes in boiling salted water. There is more detail in the guide on how to cook protein pasta.
Read next
- Protein pasta vs regular pasta: what changes on the plate
- Sunflower protein pasta vs chickpea pasta
- Sunflower protein pasta vs lentil pasta
- What sunflower protein is
- Full Protelle nutrition data
- Protelle protein pasta, 300 g
Sources
- Protelle — manufacturer’s own specification, per 100 g of dry product.
- Durum wheat pasta — USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy, entry 168927 “Pasta, dry, unenriched”.
- Barilla Protein+ — manufacturer’s declared panel (10 g protein, 5 g fibre, 38 g carbohydrate per 56 g serving) converted to 100 g; matches USDA Branded entries 2773461, 2773993 and 2774322.
- Red lentil pasta (Barilla) — USDA FoodData Central, Branded, entry 2598839.
- Chickpea pasta (Barilla) — USDA FoodData Central, Branded, entry 2581178.
Legume pasta figures vary widely between manufacturers, so a specific product is named throughout rather than the category.