Gluten-free pasta has gotten good, but it hasn’t gotten consistent. One box tastes like the real thing and the next falls apart in the pot. To sort it out, we reviewed four certified gluten-free penne in depth, each made from a different base: chickpea, brown rice, corn and rice, and an organic quinoa blend.
The short answer: there’s no single best penne, because they’re good at different things. Banza wins on protein, Jovial on texture, Barilla on price and availability, and Ancient Harvest on being organic and free of the top allergens. Below is how they rank overall, plus how to pick the one that fits how you cook and eat.
Every pasta here is certified gluten-free, so any of them is safe for a celiac or gluten-free household. We scored each on the same things we use in every review: taste and texture, value, ingredient honesty and nutrition, availability, and how many ways you can use it. You can read the full write-up behind any pick by following its link.
The quick picks
- Best overall: Banza Chickpea Penne. The most filling, with the best mix of taste, protein, and everyday value.
- Best texture: Jovial Brown Rice Penne. The closest to real wheat pasta if that’s what you miss most.
- Best value and easiest to find: Barilla Gluten Free Penne. Cheap, everywhere, and better than the price suggests.
- Best organic and for multiple allergies: Ancient Harvest Organic Penne. Certified organic and free of the top nine allergens.
1. Banza Chickpea Penne: Best Overall
Our rating: 4.3 out of 5. Made from chickpeas, Banza is the one we reach for first. It has about 11 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber per serving, roughly three times the protein of the grain-based pastas here, so a normal bowl fills you up. The texture is firm and close to wheat, with a faint chickpea taste that disappears under any real sauce.
The catch is leftovers: it goes grainy the next day, so it’s best cooked and eaten fresh. It also needs a big pot and a minute of attention so it doesn’t foam over. Neither is a dealbreaker, and for most people this is the gluten-free pasta to buy first.
Best for: anyone who wants a filling, higher-protein pasta that works as a main dish.
Read our full Banza Chickpea Penne review →
2. Jovial Brown Rice Penne: Best Texture
Our rating: 4.1 out of 5. If what you miss about wheat pasta is the texture, Jovial is the one. Made in Italy from just organic brown rice and water, it has a clean, wheat-like chew that reviewers and taste tests consistently rank at the top of the category, and it holds up baked and reheated better than most.
The trade-offs are price and nutrition. It’s the most expensive penne here and, as a two-ingredient rice pasta, it’s a refined carb with little protein or fiber. It also has a narrow cooking window, so watch the pot. For texture, though, nothing rice-based does it better.
Best for: anyone who cares most about a real, wheat-like texture, or who bakes pasta and wants good leftovers.
Read our full Jovial Brown Rice Penne review →
3. Barilla Gluten Free Penne: Best Value
Our rating: 4.0 out of 5. Barilla is the mainstream pick, and it’s better than its price suggests. Made from a corn and rice blend, it has a neutral, wheat-like taste, holds sauce well, and is the cheapest certified option here. It’s also the easiest to find, stocked in regular grocery stores where the others often aren’t.
Its weak spot is a narrow cooking window: it softens fast and doesn’t hold up as leftovers, so cook it a little early and eat it fresh. If you want a good gluten-free pasta you can grab on a normal shopping trip without paying a premium, this is it.
Best for: anyone who wants a solid everyday pasta that’s cheap and easy to find.
Read our full Barilla Gluten Free Penne review →
4. Ancient Harvest Organic Penne: Best for Organic & Multiple Allergies
Our rating: 3.9 out of 5. Ancient Harvest is the pick for households juggling more than one allergy. It’s made from just organic corn, brown rice, and quinoa, it’s certified organic, and it’s free of the top nine allergens, which none of the others can all claim at once. The taste is neutral and doesn’t read as gluten-free.
It’s a delicate blend, so it softens fast and needs a close eye at the stove, and its protein and fiber are in the standard-pasta range. It’s also more of a natural-grocery find than a regular-shelf one. But for an organic, allergy-friendly pasta with a genuinely clean label, it’s an easy one to keep in the pantry.
Best for: multi-allergy households and anyone who wants a certified-organic pasta.
Read our full Ancient Harvest Organic Penne review →
How they compare
| Pasta | Base | Protein | Fiber | Best for | Our rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Banza | Chickpea | 11g | 5g | Protein, everyday | 4.3 |
| Jovial | Brown rice | 5g | 2g | Texture | 4.1 |
| Barilla | Corn & rice | 4g | 2g | Value, availability | 4.0 |
| Ancient Harvest | Corn, brown rice & quinoa | 4g | 3g | Organic, allergen-free | 3.9 |
How to pick the right one for you
- Want dinner to be more filling, or more protein? Banza. Its chickpea base does what the grain pastas can’t.
- Miss the exact texture of wheat pasta? Jovial. It’s the closest, and it bakes and reheats well.
- Want cheap and easy to find? Barilla. It’s the reliable everyday choice at the everyday price.
- Cooking around multiple allergies, or want organic? Ancient Harvest. Free of the top nine allergens and certified organic.
- Not sure? Start with Banza for most meals and keep Barilla in the pantry for a quick, cheap backup.
How to cook gluten-free penne so it isn’t mushy
The one thing every gluten-free pasta here has in common is a shorter, less forgiving cooking window than wheat. The fixes are the same across all four:
- Pull it early. Start tasting a minute or two before the box time and drain it while it’s still firm. Gluten-free pasta keeps softening after you drain it.
- Salt the water and keep a rolling boil. Stir right after you add the pasta so it doesn’t clump.
- Sauce it and eat it fresh. Most gluten-free pasta is best cooked and served, not made ahead. Jovial is the exception that reheats well.
- Rinse only for cold pasta salad. For a hot, sauced dish, skip the rinse so the sauce still clings.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best gluten-free penne?
For most people, Banza chickpea penne is the best all-around choice, with the most protein and a texture close to wheat. But the best one depends on what you want: Jovial for texture, Barilla for price and availability, and Ancient Harvest for an organic, allergen-friendly option.
Which gluten-free pasta tastes most like real pasta?
Jovial brown rice penne is the one most people, and most taste tests, name as closest to wheat pasta. Barilla and Ancient Harvest are also neutral and wheat-like. Banza is close too, with a faint chickpea note that disappears under sauce.
Is gluten-free pasta healthy?
It depends on the base. Chickpea pasta like Banza has real protein and fiber, so it’s the most filling. Rice and corn pastas like Jovial, Barilla, and Ancient Harvest are closer to standard pasta nutritionally. All of them are fine as part of a balanced meal.
Which gluten-free penne is best for celiacs?
All four are certified gluten-free and safe for celiacs. If you react to the smallest traces, note that some brands are made in dedicated gluten-free facilities while others run on shared lines, so it’s worth checking the label for the detail that matters to you.
Why does my gluten-free pasta turn out mushy?
Overcooking is the usual cause. Gluten-free pasta has a narrower doneness window and keeps softening after you drain it, so pull it a minute or two early, keep the water at a rolling boil, and sauce it right away.
Tried one of these, or think we ranked them wrong? Tell us in the comments on any of the reviews above.