Pasta ranked by protein density
| Product | kcal/100g | Protein/100kcal | Carbs/100kcal | Fat/100kcal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NutriQuick Lean Turkey Spaghetti Meatball 390g | 104 | 16.3g | 11.5g | 1.8g |
| Lidl Chef Select Cajun Chicken Pasta 550g | 96 | 10.2g | 12g | 0.8g |
| Lean Supper Club Chicken Bacon Pasta Carbonara 450g | 144 | 9.4g | 11.2g | 2.3g |
| NutriQuick Spaghetti Bolognese 470g | 100 | 9.3g | 11g | 1.8g |
| Roma Formaggio da Pasta 250g | 457 | 8.8g | 0g | 7.2g |
| Nutriquick Spaghetti Bolognese 400g | 89 | 8.4g | 11.8g | 1.5g |
| Tasty Grub Club Cajun Chicken Tagliatelle 350g | 154 | 8.4g | 9.7g | 1.7g |
| Dunnes Stores Ultimate Pasta Mix Grated Cheese 120g | 336 | 8g | 0.3g | 7.1g |
| John West Light French Tuna Pasta Salad 220g | 98 | 7.9g | 9.9g | 2.7g |
| John West on the Go Light Greek Tuna Pasta Salad 220g | 99 | 7.8g | 9.8g | 2.9g |
| Napolina Organic Red Lentil Penne Pasta 250g | 334 | 7.8g | 15g | 0.5g |
| Napolina Gluten Free Organic Red Lentil Penne Pasta 250g | 338 | 7.7g | 14.8g | 0.5g |
| NutriQuick Plant Based Spaghetti Bolognese 380g | 110 | 7.6g | 9.5g | 2.9g |
| Fit Foods Chicken Pesto Pasta Mini Meals 280g | 126 | 7.5g | 10.2g | 2.5g |
| John West on the Go Light Italian Tuna Pasta Salad 220g | 97 | 7.5g | 10g | 3g |
| Fit Foods Chicken Carbonara Pasta 400g | 125 | 7.4g | 12g | 2.2g |
| Fit Foods Chicken Pasta 400g | 125 | 7.4g | 12g | 2.2g |
| Fit Foods Chicken Pasta Family Size 1kg | 125 | 7.4g | 12g | 2.2g |
| Fit Foods Chicken Pasta with Carbonara Sauce 400g | 125 | 7.4g | 12g | 2.2g |
| Fit Foods Pasta Bolognese Mini Meal 250g | 122 | 7.4g | 11.5g | 1.9g |
| Dunnes Stores Chicken Arrabbiata with Penne Pasta 400g | 117 | 7.3g | 9g | 3.4g |
| Cathedral City Our Chicken & Bacon Pasta Bake | 179 | 7.2g | 7.9g | 4.3g |
| Colman's Bolognese Pasta Bake Meal Kit 191g | 113 | 7.2g | 8.8g | 3.9g |
| Knorr Rich & Hearty Chicken & Pasta 390g | 35 | 7.1g | 12.3g | 2.6g |
| Lidl Deluxe Lasagne Al Forno 400g | 168 | 7g | 6.7g | 4.9g |
| Heinz Big Pasta Bolognese with Chunky Pasta 440g | 119 | 6.7g | 11.6g | 2.8g |
| Lidl Vemondo Red Lentil Fusilli 250g | 343 | 6.7g | 16.3g | 0.5g |
| Lidl Chef Select Chicken & Bacon Pasta Bake 800g | 134 | 6.6g | 11.4g | 3g |
| Lidl Deluxe Spaghetti Bolognese 400g | 107 | 6.6g | 12.8g | 2.2g |
| Goodfellas Chicken And mushroom Tagliatelle | 111 | 6.5g | 11.6g | 2.9g |
| Lidl Combino Bio Green Pea Penne Pasta 250g | 338 | 6.5g | 16g | 0.6g |
| Spar Meal for One Spaghetti Carbonara 400g | 101 | 6.5g | 11.3g | 3g |
| Weight Watchers from Heinz Beef Lasagne 300g | 92 | 6.5g | 12.2g | 2.6g |
| Aldi Protein Meatball Pasta 380g | 119 | 6.3g | 12.1g | 2.5g |
| Lidl Chef Select Tuna Pasta Bake 400g | 117 | 6.3g | 10.8g | 3.3g |
| Linda McCartney Vegetarian Meatballs with Pasta 400g | 89 | 6.3g | 14.6g | 1.9g |
| Tesco Calorie Controlled Spaghetti Bolognese 380g | 94 | 6.3g | 13.7g | 1.9g |
| Findus Beef Lasagne Great Value Twin Pack | 105 | 6.2g | 12.4g | 2.8g |
| Lidl Chef Select Beef Bolognese Pasta Melt 1kg | 105 | 6.2g | 11.5g | 3.1g |
| Lidl Chef Select Beef Bolognese Pasta Melt 800g | 104 | 6.2g | 11.5g | 3.1g |
| Lidl Chef Select Meat Feast Pasta 550g | 161 | 6.2g | 6g | 5.4g |
| Weight Watchers from Heinz Signature Recipes Chicken in White Wine Sauce with Penne Pasta 320g | 96 | 6.2g | 11.7g | 2.8g |
| Tesco Calorie Controlled Spaghetti Carbonara 380g | 89 | 6.1g | 15.1g | 1.5g |
| Weight Watchers from Heinz Chicken Pasta with Tomato & Basil 310g | 100 | 6.1g | 15.4g | 1.3g |
| Birds Eye Beef Lasagne 400g | 119 | 6g | 10.2g | 3.9g |
| Lidl Combino Bio Chickpea Fusilli Pasta 250g | 364 | 6g | 14g | 1.7g |
| Napolina Gluten Free Organic Green Pea Fusilli 250g | 334 | 6g | 16.5g | 0.5g |
| Napolina Organic Green Pea Fusilli Pasta 250g | 334 | 6g | 16.5g | 0.5g |
| Spar Meal for One Beef Lasagne 400g | 136 | 6g | 9.9g | 3.8g |
| Supper Club Black Truffle Chicken Pasta 400g | 129 | 6g | 5.7g | 5.9g |
Showing the top 50 of the 564 pasta products that carry a comparable calorie figure, ranked by protein per 100 calories. Figures per label, sourced from Open Food Facts and tracker user logs.
What the pasta numbers show
Median across all 564 of them is 3.6g of protein per 100 calories. 2 clear 10g of protein per 100 calories — about one in 282, and 10g is the line Keith uses for a food that pays for its calories.
Calories run from 24 to 552 per 100g inside this one group, a 23-fold spread, so “pasta” on its own tells you almost nothing about what a portion costs you.
Own-brand is not the compromise here. The supermarket own-label median is 3.7g of protein per 100 calories across 196 products, against 3.6g for the 368 name-brand ones.
The chains are not equal on this: Lidl runs a median of 3.8g of protein per 100 calories across its 90 own-label pasta products, SuperValu 3.3g across 38.
What to actually pick
Most of what is sold as pasta is not a protein food. The 2 that clear 10g per 100 calories sit at the top of the table and are the exceptions, not the rule.
4 of the 564 carry 400 calories or more per 100g — the ones worth weighing rather than eyeballing.
Where this fits
That chain-by-chain gap is why the biggest ranges get their own page: Lidl Pasta covers 90 products, and everything else Lidl sells sits alongside it.
The practical half of this — counting calories without weighing everything.
For one specific product rather than the whole group, the 20,000-product database is searchable on Calories in Ireland, and the same figures are built into the free calorie tracker.
Real pasta products with a photo
Real barcode-matched products with a confirmed photo — the same rule as Calories in Ireland: a photo only shows where we have a confirmed Open Food Facts match, never a guessed stock image.
Pasta by store
Browse by store
FAQ
How many pasta products are in this database?
We track 564 pasta products across Irish supermarkets and brands. 564 of them carry 20 calories or more per 100g, which is the point below which protein per 100 calories stops being a real number, so those are the ones ranked and averaged here.
What's the most protein-dense pasta product?
The table is sorted highest protein per 100 calories first, so the answer is the top row. The more useful number is that the median for the whole group is 3.6g per 100 calories and 2 products clear 10g — that tells you whether pasta is worth buying for protein at all, which protein per 100g does not.