Sunflower Protein Pasta vs Lentil Pasta
Protelle carries a third more protein and a third fewer carbohydrates than red lentil pasta, plus slightly more fibre. The main practical difference is taste and how each behaves in the pot.
Per 100 g of dry product
| Measure | Protelle (sunflower protein) | Red lentil pasta (Barilla) |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 33 g | 25.0 g |
| Carbohydrates | 40 g | 60.7 g |
| Fibre | 12 g | 10.7 g |
| Fat | 2.2 g | — |
Lentil pasta is one of the stronger legume options on protein: 25 g per 100 g is almost double standard wheat pasta. Protelle is 8 g ahead of it.
Taste and cooking
This is where the difference shows up most on the plate.
- Lentil pasta has a pronounced legume flavour with an earthy edge. It overcooks quickly — the window between al dente and mush is narrow — and the cooking water is usually discarded.
- Protelle is built on neutral-tasting sunflower protein, so the pasta keeps a familiar flavour and texture and cooks in the same 8–10 minutes as ordinary pasta.
Both differ in colour: lentil pasta is orange-red, Protelle dark brown, from the chlorogenic acid occurring naturally in sunflower seed.
Which to choose
- Most protein at the lowest carbohydrate load — Protelle.
- Familiar texture and a neutral taste — Protelle.
- You like the legume flavour and want plant protein for less — lentil.
- Legume allergy — Protelle. Coeliac disease or gluten intolerance — lentil: Protelle contains wheat.
A caveat about these numbers
Legume pasta figures vary noticeably between manufacturers. The data here describes one specific product (Barilla Red Lentil), not the category. Some lentil products from other brands reach 18.8 g of fibre per 100 g — more than Protelle.
Read next
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.