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The Best Keto Pasta Recipes and Pasta Products of 2020

The Best Keto Pasta Recipes and Pasta Products of 2020

by Olivia Carleton -

The prospect of eliminating pasta from your diet may have you wondering whether being where you are, healthwise, is that bad. Listen, a cheesy lasagna or mac & cheese can have anyone questioning their priorities, for sure––we understand the struggle.

But losing body fat isn't a binary approach if you're eating a ketogenic diet. You can enjoy pasta, bread, and other baked goods you love, with the aid of a few adjustments, and still lose a significant amount of weight!

From lasagna noodles to elbows for mac & cheese, or rotini ringlets that are perfect for a chilled Mediterranean veggie salad. There's a wide variety of pre-made noodles that mimic traditional pasta so well––and you can indulge guilt-free!

So, don't fret that your days of twirling fettuccine in alfredo sauce are over on keto; you'll get to enjoy that and much more on a low-carb, high-fat diet!

Keep reading if you love pasta like we do because we've got some simple and delicious recipes, along with our favorite store-bought options, to try to satisfy your pasta cravings. And the best part is that the low-carb pasta versions we share will have your meals tasting as indulgent as their high-carb counterparts––just fantastic!

Fortunately, a simple recipe for some hearty and savory spaghetti and marinara sauce or a hefty slice of cheesy ziti is just a mouse click away––Pinterest and YouTube are overflowing with keto recipes to try, along with those we link to below.

We'll start with the pre-packaged pasta options because they are less intimidating to most and quite convenient during periods when time is short, and your appetite requires satisfaction with little effort.

But for those of you with a more adventurous spirit and patience, we'll also cover some homemade keto-friendly pasta recipes to make and enjoy; they're perfect projects to make with your kids––especially if the recipe calls for rolling out keto dough.

Here are some of our favorite prepackaged keto pasta brands and recipe suggestions to try, as well:

  • nuPasta: 0g net carbs (1 package)
  • Natural Heaven (lasagna or spaghetti): 2g net carbs, 9 oz/entire package
  • Miracle Noodle (shirataki): 1g net carbs, 100g/3.5 oz
  • Palmini Low-carb Pasta | Hearts of Palm (r.e., linguine, lasagna, angel hair): 2g net carbs, 75g or 1/3 of a can
  • Newdles (natural konjac spaghetti): < 1g carb (only fiber), 3 oz
  • Nasoya Pasta Zero: 1g net carb, 2/3 cup
  • Sea Tangle Kelp Noodles: 2g net carbs, 4oz
  • Well Lean Organic Shirataki Noodles (r.e., original or fettuccine): 0 net carbs, 50g per serving/half of the package
  • Liviva Low-calorie Keto-certified Organic Pasta with Oat Fiber (r.e., shirataki spaghetti, fettuccine, black bean spaghetti, edamame, organic soybean spaghetti): 1g net carb, 1/4 package/100g
  • Better Than Spaghetti (zero carbs): 0g net carb, 1/2 a pack, drained, or 150g
  • Wonder Noodles (Thrive Market): 0g net carb, 3.5 oz/100g

Homemade Keto Noodles (macros will vary based on your chosen recipe, and YouTube or Pinterest are great places to begin your search for a method you want to try. Experiment with some options listed below and have fun discovering how easy it is to make keto-friendly pasta at home:

  • Lupin Flour Noodles
  • Keto Egg Noodles
  • Zoodles (zucchini spiralized noodles)
  • Cauliflower Florets (keto-friendly pasta replacement)
  • Spaghetti Squash

As you can see, there's no shortage of premade keto noodle options to experiment with and enjoy. Here are some excellent recipes that you could make with the noodles noted above, as well as some of the homemade options noted and those we'll cover a bit more below:

  • Zoodle Keto Alfredo with Bacon
  • Keto-friendly Lasagna: Here are links to a couple of easy veggies or meat-based keto-friendly lasagna video tutorials to get you started.
  • Keto Mac & Cheese (elbow noodles or cauliflower "pasta")
  • Hamburger Helper (elbows or rotini noodles)
  • Keto Broccoli and Alfredo Egg Noodles
  • Tuscan Spaghetti Squash
  • Carbonara Zoodles with Crispy Bacon
  • Keto Shrimp Scampi
  • Keto Pasta Bolognese
  • Shrimp Piccata Pasta
  • Miracle Noodle/Wonder Noodle Chow Mein
  • Keto Fettuccine Noodles with Buttery Scallops and Bacon
  • Lemon-Shrimp Asparagus with Hearts of Palm Spaghetti
  • Keto Beef Shirataki Noodles
  • Easy Keto Shrimp Lo Mein
  • 2-ingredient Fathead Noodles (mozzarella and egg yolks)
  • Keto Rotini Meditteranean Pasta (r.e., bell peppers, kalamata or Castelvetrano green whole olives, sliced red onion, broccoli, and Italian dressing)
  • Keto Chicken Piccata
  • Keto Butter Chicken with Low-carb Pasta
  • Keto Creamy Sausage Pasta
  • Keto Macaroni Salad (elbow, penne, or rotini noodles)
  • Keto Pasta Zoodle Salad (e.g., tomatoes, basil, cubed ham, and balsamic vinaigrette)
  • Instant Pot Spaghetti
  • American Chop Suey (elbow noodles)
  • Pasta Fagioli al Forno (penne pasta)
  • Spaghetti and Meatballs in Marinara Sauce
  • Garlic Butter Mushroom and Goat Cheese Fettuccine
  • Chicken Caprese Pasta Bake (penne pasta)
  • Pasta with Pesto Genovese (penne pasta)
  • Broccoli, Ham, and Cheese Pasta Casserole
  • Parmesan Chicken and Spinach Pasta (we love using rotini pasta in this recipe!)
  • Cheesy Taco Pasta
  • Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad
  • Linguine Positano (fettuccine keto noodles may be your best bet)
  • Mushroom Ricotta Pasta (fettuccine keto noodles are ideal)
  • Pesto Pasta with Chicken and Tomatoes
  • Creamy Salmon Pasta
  • Antipasto Pasta Salad
  • Caramelized Shallot Pasta
  • Keto Pasta in White (Bèchamel) Sauce
  • Crockpot Chicken and Noodles
  • Cajun Crab Pasta
  • Pasta Puttanesca
  • Pasta Primavera (penne)
  • Parmesan Orzo
  • Steak Gorgonzola-Alfredo
  • Creamy Cavatappi Pasta
  • Beef Ragú Pasta
  • Arugula Pesto Pasta
  • Garlic Parmesan Zucchini Noodles Pasta
  • Cheesy Chicken Asparagus Pasta
  • Dill Pickle Pasta Salad
  • Masala Pasta
  • Cheesy Baked Rigatoni
  • Cream Cheese Pasta with Pancetta (diced)

You can also make many recipes mentioned above with the homemade keto noodle recipes noted above.

Here are some delicious and super-easy homemade noodle or noodle alternative options, but we must warn you that it may be hard to settle on a singular favorite!

  • Golden Keto Cauliflower Bake
  • Cauliflower Baked Ziti
  • Zucchini Lattice Lasagna
  • Garlic Butter Meatballs with Zoodles
  • Cauliflower Gnocchi
  • Zucchini Noodle Ravioli
  • Rutabaga Curls
  • Low-carb Eggplant Lasagna
  • Keto Pasta Carbonara with Zoodles and Bacon
  • Butternut Squash Pasta with Marinara Sauce and Sautéed Mushrooms
  • Keto Cauliflower Chicken Alfredo
  • Keto Chicken Noodle Soup
  • Easy Kelp Noodle Soup
  • Keto Fiber Noodles Stir-fry
  • Almond Flour Pasta in Creamy Pesto Sauce
  • Creamy Penne Sausage Pasta
  • Homemade Keto Ravioli
  • Mediterranean-style Zucchini Noodle Pasta
  • Keto Gnocchi with Creamy Pesto Sauce
  • Vegan Keto Pasta Alfredo
  • Lemon Cream Chicken over Squash Ribbon Noodles
  • Garlic Shrimp with Zucchini Pasta
  • Keto Spinach, Ricotta, and Marinara Lasagna Roll-ups
  • Shrimp Scampi
  • Spinach Artichoke Creamy Pasta Salad
  • Homemade Tuna Helper Creamy Pasta (rotini noodles)
  • Roasted Cauliflower Carbonara
  • Keto Tortellini
  • Lasagna Alla Bolognese
  • Tagliatelle al ragù Alla Bolognese

It's likely clear that pasta is certainly possible to enjoy on keto, and that the options, whether store-bought or homemade, are plentiful.

The options we've mentioned are a great jumping-off point, but only your imagination limits the pasta combinations you can create.

With an array of sauces from alfredo to pesto, low carb marinara, and beyond, it's possible to prepare many pasta creations that you and your family will love and return to often.

Also, for preparedness, stock your pantry with as many canned, low-glycemic, veggies, or meats and seafood as possible so that you always have an array of ingredients to incorporate into your low-carb meals at will.

Most varieties of store-bought pasta can last, if stored properly, in air-tight containers and once stored in a cool place, for years.

However, keep in mind that many homemade forms of pasta, like egg noodles, are best refrigerated and stored for up to five days. Still, other pasta made from scratch, like ravioli, often lasts for months if vacuum-sealed and frozen until ready to use.

Also, here are some go-to keto sauces to add to your keto pasta for variety and mouth watering flavor:

  • Ragù: While marinara sauce is likely the simplest of pasta sauces, ragù is its amped-up version, which often includes ground beef, slowly simmered to produce a heartier version of the lighter marinara variety.
  • Lamb Ragù: Use a simple marinara sauce as a base and replace the usually-used ground beef with cubed or minced lamb for a hearty and savory pasta sauce option.
  • Vodka Sauce: The use of tomato paste, not a sauce, crushed, whole, or pureed tomatoes, is intentional in this sauce, as tomato paste is concentrated with an intense depth of its flavor.
    Couple the smooth texture of tomato paste with decadent heavy cream, seasonings like garlic, sea salt, and of course, some vodka, and you'll have a satisfying dish worthy of "cheat meal" status minus the added carbs.

Carefully Read Macros and Control Portions (unless noodles are zero carb options)

It's exciting to learn that pasta is still a viable option on keto; it may even tip the scale for you in favor of trying the eating protocol in the first place. However, unless you're eating a zero-carb noodle, it is still essential to portion out servings and log the carbs consumed daily to ensure that you hit your macros and see continued results.

Scrutinize Pre-made Sauces or Mixes to Limit Carbs:

Pasta is fantastic, yet often elevated to new heights with sauces, herbs, spices, and sea salt. But it is wise to keep an eye on the ingredients, especially carb or sugar content, to avoid blowing your macro budget while thinking you're keeping it keto thanks to your low-carb pasta base.

Sauces are infamous conveyors of hidden sugars and other potentially sketchy ingredients, which can negatively impact your health and hinder your weight-loss goals on keto.

In addition to the sauces mentioned above, here are some store-bought options you may like that store well in the pantry to fortify your stockpile:

  • Hoboken Farms Gourmet Marinara Sauce: 5g net carbs per serving, 1/2 cup
  • Rao's Homemade Sauce (r.e, marinara, arrabbiata, alfredo, and pizza): 4g net carbs per serving, 1/2 cup
  • Yo Momma's Pasta Sauce (r.e., burgundy wine, vodka, radiant rosè wine sauce, basil, marinara): 4g net carbs per serving, 1/2 cup
  • Muir Glen Portobello Mushroom Sauce: 6.4g net carbs per serving, 1/2 cup
  • Primal Kitchen No-dairy Alfredo Sauce: 4g net carbs per serving, 1/4 cup
  • Stonewall Kitchen's Basil Alfredo Sauce: 2g net carbs per serving, 1/4 cup
  • Little Italy in the Bronx Pasta Sauce Alfredo: 2g net carbs per serving, 1/4 cup
  • Dave’s Gourmet Pasta Sauce: 5g net carbs per serving, 1/2 cup
  • Saucy Lips Handcrafted Gourmet Sauces: (r.e., zesty cilantro, ghost pepper tamarind, jalapeño green apple, pineapple Thai, tangy mango), 0 net carbs, 1 tsp
  • Taste Flavor Co. (r.e., cherrywood chipotle, spicy garlic parm or cilantro lime ranch): 1g net carbs, 1 Tbsp)
  • Thai Almond Sauce by Yai's Thai: .5g net carbs, 1 Tbsp

Budget-friendly Picks

  • 365 Everyday Value, Organic Marinara Sauce: 5g net carbs per serving, 1/2 cup
  • Bertolli Creamy Basil Alfredo Pasta Sauce: 4g net carbs per serving, 1/4 cup
  • Bertolli Garlic Alfredo Pasta Sauce: 2g net carbs per serving, 1/4 cup
  • Bertolli Organic Creamy Alfredo Pasta Sauce: 3g net carbs per serving, 1/4 cup
  • Walden Farms, Alfredo Pasta Sauce: 0g net carb per serving, 1/4 cup
  • Classico Four Cheese Alfredo Pasta Sauce: 3g net carbs per serving, 1/4 cup
  • Classico Pasta Sauce, Creamy Alfredo: 3g net carbs per serving, 1/4 cup
  • Classico Creamy Alfredo Pasta Sauce: 3g net carbs per serving, 1/4 cup
  • Victoria Marinara Sauce: 5g net carbs per serving, 1/2 cup
  • Thrive Market Organic Marinara Sauce: 5g net carbs per serving, 1/2 cup
  • Cucina Antica Tomato Basil Sauce: 4g net carbs per serving, 1/2 cup
  • Due Cellucci Arrabbiata (Spicy) Sauce: 1g net carb per serving, 1/2 cup
  • The Meatball Shop Classic Tomato Sauce: 6g net carbs per serving, 1/2 cup
  • Organico Bello Spicy Marinara Sauce: 4g net carbs per serving, 1/2 cup
  • Specially Selected Premium Marinara Sauce (Aldi): 5g net carbs per serving, 1/2 cup
  • Primal Kitchen Tomato Basil Marinara Sauce: 7g net carbs per serving, 1/2 cup
  • Thai Kitchen Gluten Free Premium Fish Sauce: 0g net carb, 1 Tbsp
  • Thai Kitchen Gluten Free Red Curry Paste: <1g net carb, 1 tsp

Although adding a variety of sauces to a recipe can liven up dishes and offer variety in your meal plan, the ingredients in some sauces make them unfavorable options on a keto diet.

Here's a list of sauces to avoid on a low-carb, high-fat diet––unless you've found a tasty keto alternative:

  • Kikkoman Orange Sauce
  • Duck Sauce
  • General Tso Sauce
  • Sesame Teriyaki Sauce
  • Coconut Aminos Teriyaki Sauce
  • Thai Peanut Sauce
  • Carrot Marinara Sauce
  • Ketchup
  • Hoisin Sauce

Sauce mixes come in handy and are a fantastic item to keep stocked in your pantry. But as is the case with liquid flavorings, ingredients still matter. Always make sure to read the mix's label to ensure that the macros per serving work within your dietary budget.

Regardless of the brand, there are certain ingredients to avoid in liquid and powder sauce mixes. Here are some elements to eliminate from your meal plan:

Simple Sugars (monosaccharides and disaccharides):

  • Dextrose
  • Fructose
  • Galactose
  • Glucose
  • Lactose
  • Maltose
  • Sucrose

Solid or Granulated Sugars:

  • Beet Sugar
  • Cane Juice Crystals
  • Castor Sugar
  • Coconut Sugar
  • Crystalline Fructose
  • Date Sugar
  • Demerara Sugar
  • Dextrin
  • Diastatic Malt
  • Ethyl Maltol
  • Florida Crystals
  • Glucose Syrup Solids
  • Maltodextrin
  • Sucanat

Liquid or Syrup Sugars:

  • Agave Nectar/Syrup
  • Barley Malt
  • Blackstrap Molasses
  • Carob Syrup
  • Corn Syrup
  • Evaporated Cane Juice
  • Fruit Juice
  • Fruit Juice Concentrate
  • High-Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS)
  • Sorghum Syrup
  • Treacle

Some of the sugar options to avoid may seem obvious. Still, some sweeteners mentioned above may be unfamiliar, and knowing what to look for and pass up if included in foods will prove priceless on a low-carb, high-fat diet.

Instead of using products that include the sugar-based options mentioned above, opt for those sweetened with healthy sugar alternatives like stevia, monk fruit, erythritol, allulose, or xylitol.

Although some sugar alternatives may not spike blood sugar, it's best to avoid them because of their ingredients and possible side effects.

Also, in addition to sugar-derived sweeteners, here are some artificial sweeteners or sugar alternatives to avoid:

  • Saccharin
  • Aspartame
  • Sucralose (a.k.a., Splenda)
  • Maltodextrin
  • Acesulfame potassium
  • Alitame
  • Cyclamate
  • Dulcin
  • Equal
  • Kaltame
  • Mogrosides
  • Neotame
  • NutraSweet
  • Nutrinova
  • Phenylalanine
  • Sorbitol
  • Sucralose
  • Twinsweet
  • Sweet ‘N Low

While the noted sweeteners above may help keep carb intake low, they are associated with various health issues like bowel and gut inflammation, which increases the number of proteobacteria—a microbe bacteria associated with E. coli, Salmonella and Legionellales.

If you’re looking for more of a deep dive on the best sweetener options for those following a keto diet, check out our comprehensive article here.

Knowing the ideal keto sweeteners and avoiding sauces with sugar or artificial sweeteners will help decide whether to try or pass up on items when grocery shopping. You'll soon learn how to avoid hidden sugars and remain on track as you become more familiar with product ingredients, their various names, and how they may affect your blood sugar levels and maintenance of ketosis.

Summary

Few food-related moments top that when you learn that pasta is still permissible on a ketogenic diet! At this time, you may feel elated and somewhat liberated from the restrictions about keto which may have led you to think they would end your ability to enjoy your lifelong love of this twirly and satisfyingly wondrous food.

If you find you need more focus and structure to your diet, consider a personalized keto weight-loss meal plan. Having a program tailored to your preferences and lifestyle is a fantastic tool to remove the need to pine over which recipes to eat to progress toward your health goals.

The key is that a customized keto meal plan considers your personal needs and goals and works as a partner to keep you on track. Plus, it will help you include pasta in a way that can aid or even accelerate your weight-loss goals!

We have witnessed the success of thousands of our Konscious Keto community members online. Using a variation of our personalized meal plans excel and help members achieve their goals quickly and maintain or continue that weight loss long-term.

Check out our 30-second quiz to access our brief questionnaire and immediately access your personalized keto weight-loss plan to start on the road to increased health and vitality, along with a leaner physique.

A ketogenic diet is highly effective, a lifestyle rather than a quick-fix diet, and a fantastic tool to improve many areas of our health. From improving good cholesterol to managing glucose, or mitigating the often devastating effects of epileptic seizures, keto is an excellent dietary protocol to enhance health. Honestly, weight loss is the icing on the proverbial keto cake on a low-carb, high-fat diet.

Plus, converting the body to running on fat and ketones, as opposed to glucose, on a ketogenic diet helps improve hormonal health. Among other benefits, elevated ketone levels in the body can help thwart the weight-loss barriers created when high levels of stress release cortisol in the body and make it increasingly difficult to release body fat, especially about the abdomen.

We hope you enjoy the pasta items we've shared and experience a sense of pleasure and accomplishment when serving your family low-carb, delicious meals to help them eliminate carbs in their diets without them knowing the difference.

Including keto pasta in your weekly meal plan is a fantastic method to stay on course to achieve your wellness goals on keto and satisfy your family, too. What a relief it will be: if your family loves your keto creations, you no longer need to make many different meals to please everyone in your household to eliminate another task from your brimming daily to-do list!

Sources

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  • Abbasi, J. (2018). Interest in the Ketogenic Diet Grows for Weight Loss and Type 2 Diabetes. Jama, 319(3), 215. doi:10.1001/jama.2017.20639
  • Ryan, K. M. (n.d.). Intentional Weight Loss among Healthy Women. doi:10.31979/etd.ek9v-tbx8
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  • Paoli, A., Bianco, A., Grimaldi, K., Lodi, A., & Bosco, G. (2013). Long Term Successful Weight Loss with a Combination of Biphasic Ketogenic Mediterranean Diet and Mediterranean Diet Maintenance Protocol. Nutrients, 5(12), 5205-5217. doi:10.3390/nu5125205
  • Ansari, S., Fatima, S., & Fahamiya, N. (2019). Low Carb Diet Outranked a Low Fat Diet in Weight Loss. Middle East Journal of Rehabilitation and Health Studies, 6(4). doi:10.5812/mejrh.96547
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  • Seppa, N. (2009). Body & Brain: Go against the grains, diet study suggests: Low-carb beats low-fat in weight loss, cholesterol. Science News, 174(4), 9-9. doi:10.1002/scin.2008.5591740408
  • Lomangino, K. (2008). ADA Recommends Low-Carb Diets for Weight Loss. Clinical Nutrition INSIGHT, 34(2), 7-9. doi:10.1097/01.nmd.0000311965.01818.f8

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