Healthy Pasta Alternatives: 10 Pasta & Spaghetti Substitutes
There are loads of reasons you might be looking for a healthy alternative to pasta. Perhaps you want to eat more vegetables, need a gluten-free option, would like something with more protein or simply fancy trying something different for dinner.
What I don’t think you need to do is replace ordinary pasta because you’ve been told pasta is unhealthy. As I’ve explained in my guide to whether pasta is healthy, ordinary pasta can absolutely be part of a balanced diet.
That said, I love having options.
Some pasta alternatives are very similar to traditional pasta, while others aren’t really pasta substitutes at all. Courgette noodles aren’t going to fool anyone into believing they’re spaghetti, for example, but they can still be really nice with the right sauce.
I’ve put together ten alternatives below, including vegetable alternatives to pasta, higher-protein choices and gluten-free options, along with what I think they’re actually best used for.
What is a healthy alternative to pasta?
There isn’t one pasta substitute that’s automatically healthier than ordinary pasta.
The best choice depends on why you’re replacing it.
If you want to eat more vegetables, courgette noodles or spaghetti squash might appeal. If you’re interested in increasing protein or fibre, pasta made from chickpeas or lentils may be more useful. If you need to avoid gluten, you’ll need to choose an appropriate gluten-free product and check the label carefully.
Sometimes you might simply want a change.
Here’s what I’d consider trying.
1. Courgette noodles
Courgette noodles, sometimes called courgetti or zoodles, are probably one of the best-known vegetable alternatives to pasta.
They’re simply courgettes cut into long thin strands using a spiraliser, julienne peeler or vegetable peeler.
Courgette has a fairly mild flavour, so it works with plenty of pasta-style sauces. The big difference is the texture. It’s much softer and more watery than wheat pasta, particularly if you cook it for too long.
I prefer to think of courgetti as a vegetable served noodle-style rather than a direct replacement for spaghetti. If you’re expecting it to taste and feel exactly like pasta, you’re probably going to be disappointed.
It can be lovely with tomato-based sauces, pesto and lighter sauces, though.
Best for: adding more vegetables, tomato sauces and lighter meals.
2. Spaghetti squash
Spaghetti squash is quite a clever vegetable because once cooked, its flesh separates naturally into long strands.
You normally cook the squash first and then scrape the inside with a fork to produce the spaghetti-like pieces.
The flavour and texture are obviously different from pasta, but the strands work particularly well with sauces that you’d normally serve with spaghetti.
It isn’t always the easiest vegetable to find in UK supermarkets, which is worth bearing in mind if you’ve seen lots of American recipes using it and wondered why you’ve never spotted one next to the butternut squash in Tesco!
Best for: a vegetable alternative to spaghetti and using with rich tomato-based sauces.
3. Chickpea pasta
If you want something that behaves much more like ordinary pasta, chickpea pasta is worth trying.
It’s made using chickpeas or chickpea flour, although ingredients vary between products, so check the packet rather than assuming every brand is identical.
One reason people choose chickpea pasta is its nutritional profile. Depending on the product, it can provide more protein and fibre than traditional white pasta.
It also comes in recognisable pasta shapes, which means you can use it for dishes where courgetti simply wouldn’t work. A chickpea penne still looks and behaves far more like a bowl of pasta than a spiralised vegetable does.
The flavour is slightly different, so don’t expect an exact swap.
Best for: people looking for a pasta alternative with more protein or fibre.
4. Lentil pasta
Lentil pasta is another option if you want a pasta substitute that still looks and cooks reasonably similarly to traditional pasta.
You’ll commonly find varieties made with red lentils, although ingredients differ between brands.
Like chickpea pasta, the protein and fibre content can differ from standard wheat pasta and between individual products, so it’s worth comparing nutrition labels if that’s the reason you’re buying it.
The texture can become soft quite quickly if it’s overcooked. I’d definitely follow the packet instructions rather than assuming it needs the same cooking time as your usual penne.
Best for: higher-protein pasta meals, pasta salads and anyone wanting something closer to conventional pasta.
5. Brown rice pasta
Brown rice pasta is a useful alternative if you want something relatively similar to traditional pasta but need to avoid wheat or gluten.
It’s generally mild in flavour, although the texture isn’t identical to wheat pasta and different brands can behave quite differently when cooked.
One thing I’ve found with alternative pastas is that the packet instructions suddenly become much more important. With ordinary pasta I tend to know roughly what I’m doing without thinking about it. Gluten-free pasta can be much less forgiving!
If you’re choosing brown rice pasta because you have coeliac disease or medically need to avoid gluten, always check that the particular product is labelled appropriately rather than assuming it’s safe purely because rice itself is gluten-free.
Best for: a fairly neutral-tasting wheat-pasta alternative.
6. Quinoa pasta
Quinoa pasta sounds as though it should simply be quinoa turned into spaghetti, but that’s not necessarily what you’ll find in the packet.
Some products combine quinoa with ingredients such as corn or rice flour to improve the texture, so the nutritional content depends on the actual product.
That’s why I’d be wary of assuming quinoa pasta automatically has all the same nutritional qualities as a bowl of cooked quinoa.
It usually has more of a distinctive flavour than white pasta, which can work really well with vegetables and stronger sauces.
Best for: trying something different and people looking at wheat-free or gluten-free alternatives, depending on the product.
7. Soba noodles
Soba noodles are Japanese noodles traditionally made using buckwheat.
Despite its confusing name, buckwheat isn’t actually a type of wheat. However, this doesn’t mean every packet of soba noodles is gluten-free because some products contain wheat as well.
If you’re avoiding gluten for medical reasons, checking the actual ingredients and allergen information is essential.
Soba has a more distinctive, earthy flavour than ordinary pasta and I wouldn’t really use it as a substitute in something like macaroni cheese or lasagne! It works particularly well in Asian-inspired meals, broths and cold noodle dishes.
Best for: noodle bowls, broths and Asian-inspired dishes.
8. Konjac or shirataki noodles
Konjac noodles, also known as shirataki noodles, are quite different from ordinary pasta.
They’re made using konjac and usually contain a lot of water. They have a slippery, slightly chewy texture that seems to divide people quite spectacularly. Some people love them; others try them once and never want to see them again.
They usually come packed in liquid and often benefit from being rinsed thoroughly and prepared according to the packet instructions.
They’re frequently marketed as a very low-calorie or low-carbohydrate alternative to noodles and pasta, but I wouldn’t choose them purely because they contain fewer calories. Think about the rest of the meal too, particularly what you’re adding for protein, vegetables and overall enjoyment.
Best for: people who genuinely enjoy the texture and want a very different noodle alternative.
9. Hearts of palm pasta
Hearts of palm pasta is another vegetable-based alternative that’s become more widely available.
It’s made from the inner part of certain palm plants and is cut into pasta-like shapes such as linguine.
The texture is firmer than courgetti and the flavour is slightly vegetable-like rather than completely neutral. Again, I think you’ll enjoy it much more if you approach it as its own food rather than expecting an indistinguishable copy of spaghetti.
It generally comes ready prepared in a pouch, jar or tin, depending on the product, which can make it quite convenient.
Best for: an easy vegetable-based pasta alternative without needing a spiraliser.
10. Vegetable ribbons
You don’t actually need to buy specialist vegetable noodles or own a spiraliser.
A vegetable peeler can turn courgettes and carrots into wide ribbons that work brilliantly with sauces and dressings.
They’re obviously not going to behave like penne or spaghetti, but they’re an easy way to change a meal and add extra vegetables without buying a specialist product.
You can also mix vegetable ribbons with ordinary pasta rather than replacing the pasta completely.
I actually think that’s worth mentioning because pasta alternatives don’t have to be all or nothing. Half spaghetti and half courgetti might suit you much better than a plate containing nothing but courgette.
Best for: a cheap and easy vegetable pasta alternative using ingredients you may already have.
Which pasta alternative is best for you?
Rather than asking which pasta substitute is healthiest, I’d start with what you actually want from it.
If you want something similar to traditional pasta, I’d look at chickpea, lentil or brown rice pasta.
If you want a vegetable alternative to pasta, try courgetti, spaghetti squash, hearts of palm or vegetable ribbons.
If you’re looking for more protein, compare chickpea and lentil pasta with your normal pasta. The actual amount varies by product, so use the nutrition labels rather than relying on claims on the front of the packet.
If you need a gluten-free pasta alternative, there are plenty of choices, but check the packaging carefully. Ingredients and manufacturing differ between brands, and something being made from a naturally gluten-free ingredient doesn’t automatically tell you everything you need to know about the finished product.
I’ve got a separate guide to gluten-free pasta alternatives where I look at those choices in more detail.
Healthy spaghetti alternatives
If it’s specifically spaghetti you’re replacing, shape matters.
Courgetti and spaghetti squash are probably the obvious vegetable choices because they naturally give you long strands.
Hearts of palm linguine can work if you want something ready-made, while chickpea, lentil, brown rice and other alternative pastas are often available as spaghetti too.
What I’d choose depends heavily on the sauce.
A chunky Bolognese-style sauce needs something sturdy enough to hold it. A lighter tomato sauce or pesto gives you much more flexibility.
Pasta alternatives for weight loss
You don’t need to replace pasta to lose weight.
I think that’s particularly important to say on a site where I’ve talked so much about my own weight loss over the years. I lost 10 stone without deciding pasta could never appear on my plate again.
If you’re considering an alternative because you’re trying to lose weight, don’t look solely at which product has the fewest calories.
Think about the meal as a whole, what you enjoy eating and what will actually satisfy you. Swapping spaghetti for courgette doesn’t automatically make a meal better for you, just as choosing ordinary pasta doesn’t automatically make it unhealthy.
My Slimming World pasta recipes have lots of ideas if what you actually want is healthier inspiration using ordinary pasta.
Tips for cooking pasta alternatives
The biggest lesson here is not to assume every pasta substitute cooks like ordinary dried pasta.
Check the packet first. Bean and pulse-based pastas can have different cooking times and textures, while vegetable noodles usually need very little cooking.
Alternative pasta can also become soft surprisingly quickly, so I’d check it before the end of the suggested cooking time if you prefer a firmer texture.
If you’re using courgette or another watery vegetable, remember that it can release liquid as it cooks. A thick sauce usually works better than something already quite watery.
And if you’re cooking ordinary pasta instead, my guide to cooking pasta has all my tips for getting that right.
Pasta alternatives: frequently asked questions
What is the healthiest alternative to pasta?
There isn’t one healthiest pasta alternative for everybody.
Wholegrain, pulse-based and vegetable options all offer different things nutritionally. Your best choice depends on what you’re looking for, your dietary requirements and what else you’re eating.
If you simply enjoy ordinary pasta, you don’t have to replace it to have a healthy diet.
What can I use instead of spaghetti?
Courgetti, spaghetti squash and hearts of palm are vegetable alternatives to spaghetti. You can also buy spaghetti made from ingredients such as lentils, chickpeas, rice and other grains or pulses.
Which works best depends on the sauce and how similar you want the result to traditional spaghetti.
What’s a good pasta substitute with more protein?
Chickpea and lentil pasta are worth comparing if protein is your priority.
Protein content varies between brands and products, though, so compare the nutrition information with the pasta you normally buy.
You can also keep ordinary pasta and add protein to the rest of the meal. My high protein pasta salad guide has plenty of ideas for doing exactly that.
Can I make vegetable noodles without a spiraliser?
Yes. A vegetable peeler is brilliant for making wide ribbons from courgettes or carrots.
A sharp knife works too, although you’ll need considerably more patience than I usually have at dinnertime.
Is gnocchi a healthy pasta alternative?
I wouldn’t automatically class traditional gnocchi as a healthier substitute for pasta.
It’s usually made using potato and flour, although recipes and products vary. If you’re considering it for nutritional reasons, compare the actual product with the pasta you’d otherwise eat.
If you’re considering it because you really fancy gnocchi, that’s an entirely different and perfectly reasonable reason!
Are pasta alternatives better than pasta?
Not necessarily.
Some provide more fibre or protein, some help you eat more vegetables and some are useful for particular dietary requirements. That doesn’t make ordinary pasta a poor choice.
I think the best reason to try pasta alternatives is because one of them offers something useful to you or because you simply fancy eating it.
Which pasta alternative should you try?
If you’ve never tried any of them, I’d probably start with chickpea or lentil pasta if you want something reasonably close to ordinary pasta, or courgetti if you’re curious about the vegetable alternatives.
Just don’t expect every substitute to taste exactly like spaghetti.
Some of them are genuinely lovely, but they’re lovely because they’re different rather than because they’ve somehow managed to impersonate a bowl of pasta perfectly.
And if you try courgetti and decide you’d much rather have spaghetti after all, have the spaghetti.
