What Are My Grain-Free Pasta Choices?

When you think of pasta you probably don’t immediately think of “grain-free” – but there are several types of grain-free pasta choices if you’re in the market for one!

Some types of grain-free pasta include:

• Almond flour pasta
• Cassava flour pasta
• Chickpea pasta
• Edamame pasta
• Hearts of Palm pasta*
• Lentil pasta
• Shirataki noodles
• Spiralized veggie pasta*

*=not technically pasta – we’ll explain!

We’ll review each of these pastas and compare them all nutrition-wise in this article.

What is grain-free pasta?

Regular pasta is made from wheat flour (typically durum wheat semolina), which is a type of grain. You might look for grain-free pastas for several reasons, including:

• A gluten-free diet
• A Paleo diet
• A wheat allergy
• Lower-carb and/or higher-fiber options

Grain-free pastas are made from non-grain ingredients such as:

• Legumes (beans, peas, soybeans, etc.)
• Other plant-based foods like vegetables

8 types of grain-free pasta

Almond flour pasta

Almond flour is a popular grain-free flour and it can be used to make pasta as well. One example of pasta made with almond flour is Cappello’s brand which is made with:

• Almond flour
• Tapioca starch
• Eggs
• Egg whites
• Xanthan gum
• Water
• Sea salt 
• Turmeric

Even though this pasta is made from almond flour which is usually keto-friendly, this pasta isn’t keto-friendly with 36 grams of carbs per one cup serving. It IS Paleo-friendly, though!

Cassava flour pasta

One popular Paleo-friendly pasta is Jovial brand’s grain-free pasta made from cassava flour. Cassava is a type of root vegetable and is popular in the Paleo world.

Chickpea pasta

Also one of the higher-fiber grain-free pasta choices, chickpea pasta is made from chickpea flour and pea starch. Even though it’s grain-free, it’s not Paleo-friendly because it contains legumes.

Edamame pasta

Edamame pasta is not only loaded with fiber, but it’s a good gluten-free and grain-free pasta alternative. It’s low in net carbs with 7 grams per serving, which can be suitable for certain low-carb diets such as keto when eaten in moderation.

Edamame is from soybeans which are a type of legume, so it’s not Paleo-friendly.

Hearts of Palm pasta

This isn’t technically pasta, but we had to include it in our list because it fits the bill for a grain-free, Paleo- and keto-friendly pasta alternative. It’s made from hearts of palm (a vegetable that comes from the core of certain types of palm trees) and is shaped into a spaghetti noodle shape.

Lentil pasta

Pasta made with lentil flour is among one of the more popular grain-free pasta choices. It’s rich in fiber and protein, though it’s not Paleo or keto-friendly.

Shirataki noodles

Low-carb dieters love shirataki noodles, which are made from the root of the konjac plant. Shirataki noodles are very low in net carbs and are both keto- and Paleo-friendly.

Spiralized veggie pasta

Like hearts of palm pasta, spiralized veggies (like zucchini and carrots) aren’t technically pasta, but they are popular grain-free alternatives because they are suitable for even the strictest diets.

Nutrition comparison of grain-free pasta choices

K=keto-friendly (<5 grams net carbs per serving)

P=Paleo friendly

Pasta	Calories	Total fat (saturated fat)	Total carbs (fiber)	Net carbs	Protein	K/P
Almond flour pasta (Cappello’s brand) – 1 cup	360	20 g (2 g)	39 g (3 g)	36 g	12 g	P
Cassava flour pasta – 2 oz.	200	0 g	49 g (4 g)	45 g	1 g	P
Chickpea pasta – 2 oz.	190	3 g (0 g)	35 g (5 g)	30 g	11 g	–
Edamame pasta – 2 oz.	180	3.5 g (0 g)	20 g (13 g)	7 g	24 g	–
Hearts of palm pasta – ½ cup	20	0 g	5 g (3 g)	2 g	1 g	K, P
Lentil pasta – 2 oz.	190	1.5 g (0 g)	34 g (6 g)	28 g	14 g	–
Shirataki noodles – 100 grams	5	0 g	4 g (2 g)	2 g	0 g	K, P
Spiralized veggie pasta (zucchini) – 1 cup	21	0.4 g (0 g)	3.9 g (1.2 g)	2.7 g	1.5 g	K, P

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