Some foods are really easy to eat more than one serving of – ice cream, chips, and pasta are a few of these foods.
When you eat more than a serving of these types of foods, it can make the calories rack up fast. Which pastas have the most calories to begin with?
Some of the pastas with the most calories are:
- Almond flour pasta
- Egg noodles
- Cassava flour pasta
- Regular pasta
We’ll review all of these high-calorie pastas and compare them nutrition-wise below.
Calories in pasta
Unless it’s a specific low-calorie version, pasta isn’t a low-calorie food. Pasta is a significant source of carbohydrates, which is where most of its calories come from.
Since the different types of pasta mainly differ in their shape, they tend to have similar nutrition stats. Pasta is usually made with durum wheat semolina, a type of high-protein and high-gluten flour ideal for making pasta.
That means that it doesn’t matter which shape it’s formed into – spaghetti, penne, and macaroni will have similar nutrition stats if they’re made with durum wheat.
Which pastas have the most calories?
Some pasta is made from ingredients other than durum wheat flour, which can make them higher in calories. We’ll review some of the higher-calorie pastas below!
Almond flour pasta – 360 calories per serving (1 cup)
The highest-calorie pasta is made from almond flour, a grain-free pasta alternative. Almond flour is high in fat, which contains more calories per gram compared to carbohydrates.
One cup of almond flour pasta contains 360 calories per cup, which primarily comes from 20 grams of fat. This pasta is Paleo-friendly and gluten-free.
Egg noodles – 220 calories per serving
Egg noodles contain eggs in addition to durum wheat flour, which makes them slightly higher in fat and calories. Despite the name which might lead you to believe these noodles are only made from eggs, they still contain gluten from the wheat flour.
Egg noodles aren’t vegan-friendly since they contain eggs, which sets them apart from most types of pasta.
Cassava flour pasta – 200 calories per serving
Like almond flour pasta, this pasta is also keto-friendly because it’s made from the cassava root and not grains.
Regular pasta – 200 calories per serving
Most types of pasta are made from non-whole wheat durum wheat semolina, a type of refined flour. That means that the different shapes of pasta you know and love (lasagna noodles, rotini, macaroni, and many more) are generally the same nutrition-wise.
Did you know that regular pasta is higher in calories than whole wheat pasta? Regular pasta is slightly higher in carbs compared to whole wheat pasta, and it’s also lower in fiber.
Because fiber isn’t digested by your body, it provides fewer calories than other types of carbs like starch and sugar. Whole wheat fiber has more fiber so fewer calories compared to regular pasta.
Nutritional comparison of high-calorie pastas
| Pasta | Calories | Total fat (saturated) | Total carbs (fiber) | Net carbs | Protein |
| Almond flour pasta (1 cup) | 360 | 20 g (2 g) | 39 g (3 g) | 36 g | 12 g |
| Egg noodles – 2 oz. | 220 | 3 g (1 g) | 40 g (2 g) | 38 g | 8 g |
| Cassava flour pasta – 2 oz. | 200 | 0 g | 49 g (4 g) | 45 g | 1 g |
| Regular pasta – 2 oz. | 200 | 1 g (0 g) | 42 g (3 g) | 39 g | 7 g |
FAQs:
Pasta contains around 200 calories per serving, which prepares around 1 ½ cups cooked. If you add other things like oil, butter, or cream sauces, it can quickly become a high-calorie food.
Choosing refined pasta (white pasta) means you’re getting more calories and fewer grams of filling fiber, which means you might eat more than you would of a more filling food.
Regular pasta is made from enriched flour, which is lower in fiber and nutrients compared to whole wheat flour. This makes it higher in calories and carbs.
Spaghetti carbonara is considered one of the highest-calorie and highest-fat pasta dishes. It contains bacon, eggs, and cheese, which are all high-fat foods – in addition to a hefty amount of pasta.
One serving (2 ounces) of dry pasta contains around 200 calories, which makes around 1 ½ cups cooked.
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