Legume Pasta

Legume pasta is made from flour milled from pulses such as lentils, chickpeas, or black beans. It has become a popular alternative to traditional wheat pasta, particularly for those looking for more protein or following a gluten-free diet.

The texture is slightly different from wheat pasta — typically firmer and a touch grainier — and it carries a subtle earthy flavour from the legume base. It works best with robust sauces that complement its nuttier character, such as pesto, bolognese, or garlic and olive oil.

Legume pasta is widely available in Australian supermarkets in shapes like penne, spirals, and spaghetti. It cooks similarly to regular pasta, though it can break down more quickly if overcooked.

Farmed
photograph to come — from twenty years of markets, farms and kitchens

How it's made

Dried legumes such as red lentils or chickpeas are milled into fine flour, which is then mixed with water to form a dough. This dough is extruded through dies to create various pasta shapes and dried for shelf stability. To prepare, the pasta is boiled in water without added salt until tender.

Nutrition (per 100g)

Energy 150kcal
Protein 14.4g
Carbs 16.1g
Fat 1.7g
Fibre 6.2g Sugar 1.2g
Mass Distribution

What it costs the planet (per kilo)

Carbon ≈0.82kg
Freshwater ≈104.73L
Land ≈1.91

≈ Estimated — worked out from a category-typical value further up its supply chain. Where this comes from →

Where it comes from

Made from

In the kitchen

Used as

main dish base

Goes well with
Classic dishes
  • Pasta Primavera
  • Chickpea Pasta with Tomato Sauce

Keeping one at home? Track yours in your cubud →

Where this data comes from

Nutrition data from

FSANZ

How it was calculated

Analysed

Full credits, licences, and methods: the sources page →

Where to next

✎ Spotted something wrong? Suggest a correction

Checking who you are...