Italian grandmothers might disagree, but often the pasta isn’t always the most important part of a pasta dish. The roll of pasta is often nothing more than a good sauce, so why not choose the healthiest option? There are endless benefits of including low carb pasta in your diet, they can be a great and tasty way to increase your overall intake of fiber and vegetables, two things that many Americans lack in their diets.
“If you’re diabetic or watching your carb intake, low-carb pasta alternatives can be a great meal that offer a taste and texture similar to the original without unduly raising blood sugar levels,” said the associate director of the Good Housekeeping Institute nutrition laboratory, Stefanie Sassos, MS, RDN, CDN. “They can also be a convenient way to add more vegetables, legumes, fiber and protein to your diet.”
Registered dietitians at the Good Housekeeping Institute’s nutrition lab have tested dozens of pastas and pasta alternatives, analyzing nutritional values, ingredient lists, taste, texture, cooking times and more. Our top picks for the best low-carb pasta all have around 30 grams of net carbs or less. We also prioritized high-fiber and high-protein picks. Our experts searched for minimal ingredient lists and picks with better texture and flavor profiles.
Our top picks:
Below you will find the best low-carb pasta and pasta alternatives according to our taste tests. Read on to learn more about how we picked the best low carb pasta and what to look for when shopping.
1
Best prebiotic pasta
Pasta with yellow peas
| ingredients |
Whole yellow peas (with skin) |
| Nutritional Information (2-ounce serving) |
200 Calories, 1.5g Fat, 0g Saturated Fat, 0mg Cholesterol, 0mg Sodium, 36g Total Carbohydrates, 7g Fiber, 1g Total Sugars, 12g Protein |
2
Best high protein pasta
Organic edamame and mung bean fettuccine
| ingredients |
Organic Edamame Flour (Green Soybeans), Organic Mung Bean Flour |
| Nutritional Information (2-ounce serving) |
180 Calories, 4g Fat, 0.5g Saturated Fat, 0mg Cholesterol, 0mg Sodium, 20g Total Carbohydrates, 14g Fiber, 3g Total Sugars, 0g Added Sugars, 24g Protein |
3
Best chickpea pasta
Chickpea Rotini
| ingredients |
chickpea flour |
| Nutritional Information (2-ounce serving) |
190 Calories, 3.5g Fat, 0.5g Saturated Fat, 0mg Cholesterol, 0mg Sodium, 34g Total Carbohydrate, 8g Fiber (including 4g Soluble Fiber, 4g Insoluble Fiber), 2g Total Sugars, 11g protein ) |
4
Best wheat noodles
One ingredient wheat pasta
| ingredients |
High-fiber durum wheat semolina |
| Nutritional Information (1/2 cup serving) |
180 Calories, 1g Fat, 0g Saturated Fat, 0mg Cholesterol, 0mg Sodium, 39g Total Carbs, 8g Fiber, 1g Total Sugars, 9g Protein |
5
Best high fiber pasta
Light rotini pasta
| ingredients |
Enriched durum wheat semolina, modified wheat starch and wheat gluten |
| Nutritional Information (1/2 cup serving) |
110 Calories, 1g Fat, 0g Saturated Fat, 0mg Cholesterol, 100mg Sodium, 41g Total Carbs, 17g Net Carbs, 24g Fiber (including 2g Soluble Fiber, 22g Insoluble Fiber), 1g Total Sugars, 7g Protein. |
6
Best Butternut Squash Pasta
Butternut Squash Veggie Spirals
| ingredients |
Butternut Squash |
| Nutritional Information (3/4 cup frozen, 1/2 cup prepared) |
50 Calories, 0g Fat, 0g Saturated Fat, 0mg Cholesterol, 0mg Sodium, 12g Total Carbohydrates, 1g Fiber, 2g Total Sugars, 1g Protein |
7
Best Shirataki Noodles
Low carb konjac noodles
| ingredients |
Konjac Powder, Oat Powder, Water, Calcium Hydroxide |
| Nutritional Information (3.5 ounce serving) |
4.5 Calories, 0g Fat, 0g Saturated Fat, 0mg Cholesterol, 10mg Sodium, 0g Total Carbs, 0 Net Carbs, 2g Fiber, 0g Total Sugars, 0g Protein |
8th
Best hearts of palm noodles
Heart of Palm Linguine
| ingredients |
Sliced Palm Hearts, Water, Natural Sea Salt, Citric Acid |
| Nutritional Information (per 75g serving) |
20 Calories, 0g Fat, 0g Saturated Fat, 0mg Cholesterol, 60mg Sodium, 4g Total Carbohydrates, 2g Fiber, 0g Total Sugars, 1g Protein |
9
Best Spaghetti Squash Pasta
Organic Dried Spaghetti Squash
| ingredients |
Organic Spaghetti Squash |
| Nutritional Information (1/2 cup serving) |
30 Calories, 0g Total Fat, 0mg Sodium, 6g Total Carbs, 2g Fiber, 4g Total Sugars, 0g Added Sugars, 2g Protein |
10
Best edamame noodles
Edamame spaghetti
| ingredients |
Organic edamame bean flour (green soybeans) |
| Nutritional Information (2-ounce serving) |
180 Calories, 3.5g Total Fat, 0.5g Saturated Fat, 0mg Cholesterol, 0mg Sodium, 20g Total Carbohydrates, 13g Fiber, 3g Total Sugars, 24g Protein |
11
Best zucchini noodles
Zucchini Vegetable Spirals
| ingredients |
zucchini |
| Nutritional Information (3/4 cup frozen, 1/2 cup prepared) |
15 Calories, 0g Total Fat, 0g Saturated Fat, 0mg Cholesterol, 0mg Sodium, 2g Total Carbohydrates, 1g Fiber, 1g Total Sugars, 1g Protein |
How we picked the best low carb pasta
At the Good Housekeeping Institute, we continuously test all types of groceries, grocery products and nutrition-related services in every category, from healthy snacks and supplements to grocery subscription boxes and meal delivery services. Our experts strive to bring you the best of the best when it comes to quality, performance, taste, nutrition and more.
Our Registered Dietitians have evaluated dozens of pastas and pasta alternatives, focusing on ingredient lists, fiber counts and protein content. We also considered cooking times, texture, flavor and overall food quality. Our top picks accommodate a variety of dietary preferences, from high-fiber and high-protein options to gluten- and soy-free offerings.
How to choose the best low-carb pasta for you
When deciding on a low-carb or alternative pasta, first consider what you are trying to achieve. If your goal is primarily to reduce your carb intake, consider some of the vegetarian or shirataki noodle options on this list. If your goal is to increase your fiber intake, legume-based pasta might be a good place to start. If you’re looking for a similar mouthfeel to traditional pasta or are dealing with picky eaters, we recommend wheat pasta for a more intimate experience.
12
Why trust Good Housekeeping?
As a nutritionist and lover of low carb pasta with an Italian background, Amy Fisher is well positioned as an expert in the field of healthy pasta alternatives. She’s always looking for ways to add more fiber, vegetables and legumes to her diet, and she can’t go without a healthy vehicle for a good sauce. She has worked as a recipe developer for several food companies and also has extensive experience in the commercial side of the grocery business.
As Associate Director of the Good Housekeeping Institute’s Nutrition Laboratory, Stefanie Sassos, MS, RDN, CSO, CDN, NASM-CPT handles all nutritional content, product testing and reviews. Growing up in a family in the restaurant business, Sassos was able to combine her knowledge of nutrition with culinary skills taught to her by her mother and grandmother. She is an avid home cook and meal prep expert, and she is passionate about incorporating unique flavors from different cuisines into her dishes. Stefani relies on low-carb, high-protein pasta alternatives several times a week to prepare convenient and nutrient-dense dinners for her and her family.
Amy Fischer MS, RD, CDN
Before joining the Good Housekeeping Institute’s Nutrition Lab, Amy Fischer, MS, RD, CDN, worked at one of the largest teaching hospitals in New York City as a heart transplant nutritionist; She has also authored numerous chapters in clinical nutrition textbooks and has experience as a recipe developer.
