Penne is totally tubular—both literally and if you’re trying to give praise but are stuck in the ‘80s. The hollow cylindrical shape makes it great for holding onto sauces. But not all penne pasta you buy at the store is the same. What’s the best penne pasta brand around? I tasted 11 different penne pasta brands to find out.
I selflessly set out to find the best penne pasta brand, purely for the benefit of the public, and definitely not because I wanted an excuse to eat nine plates of penne. To conduct this taste test, I cooked each penne pasta brand in salted boiling water until al dente, and tasted each without any additional sauce or seasoning. I’ll admit I took some liberties with the package instructions to scale down the portion sizes, because I live alone and I can’t be trusted with nine full boxes’ worth of cooked pasta.
Here’s the best penne pasta you can buy, whether you’re looking for classic penne, whole grain, or even gluten-free penne.
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- Barilla Whole Grain Penne
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I like the taste of whole wheat. I prefer a multigrain toast to white toast. I like the earthy, slightly bitter taste that you just can’t find in a white flour. And I liked this whole wheat penne so much because it packed the most of that whole wheat flavor without making it taste too “healthy.” This isn’t settling. It still tastes like good pasta. My friend and tasting partner described it as “a frostingless Pop-Tart,” and I don’t disagree with that, but I’m also not dissuaded by that. If you know what you’re getting and you expect a different flavor, you’ll be thrilled to find a complex multigrain taste. However, if you’re looking for traditional penne, this isn’t the best penne pasta for you. But, I’ll repeat: I liked it!
Credit: Merc / Walmart
- Rao’s Penne
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Rao’s penne pasta packaging takes you straight to Italy. And the noodles look homemade, like pasta crafted by true nonnas who can crank out the most delicious food you’ve ever tasted with their eyes closed. These penne noodles are rustic in that they are hearty has heck. They are thick. And the longer cook time was reflective of the thicker noodle. While the taste isn’t wildly different from most of the other classic penne’s tested, I did like the extra body for the bite. It made me appreciate the al dente cook, even as someone who shamelessly prefers noodles a little overdone. These extra hearty penne noodles make Rao’s the best penne pasta brand for a baked pasta dish.
Credit: Merc / Walmart
- Banza Penne Made from Chickpeas
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Chickpeas may very well be the future. They’re delicious on their own, but you can also use chickpea water (aka aquafaba) to make vegan meringues. And numerous scientific studies confirm conclusively that hummus is dope and fixes all problems. Add to their resume that they are the main ingredient in some of the best penne pasta of the bunch. You wouldn’t mistake it for a standard penne pasta, but this gluten-free penne has a nutty flavor that kept me going back for bite after bite. Though I loved it, I do have to knock it for the texture, since there’s a pretty narrow window between when you’ve finished cooking it and when it starts to break down. Oh well, guess you’ll just have to eat quickly.
Credit: Merc / Target
- De Cecco Penne
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I’ll reiterate that I tasted these pastas plain, though I would normally never eat a sauceless pasta. I tasted with the intention of finding differences and being nitpicky. And De Cecco was really the only of the classic penne brands whose taste was distinct from the others. Most of the other penne pasta brands were, in my opinion, pretty interchangeable. This one tastes slightly stronger of flour and wheat, but in a good way, not like if you undercook a gravy and get that raw flour taste. It’s as if someone took the flavor of good, simple pasta and turbo-charged it. It’s a bit pricier than the other penne pasta brands considering it doesn’t taste drastically different. But if you’ve got a really sensitive palate or intend to make a dish that lets the penne shine, this is the best penne pasta brand to buy.
Credit: Merc / Instacart
Best Whole Grain Penne
Best Penne for Baking
Best Gluten-Free Penne
Best of the Best
Other penne pasta brands we tried: Barilla, Great Value, Barilla Mini, Great Value Whole Wheat, Barilla Gluten Free, Dreamfields, Jovial Gluten Free
