Vegans with AppetitesFood
Looking for vegan pasta brands? Don't worry, we got you covered! We've highlighted all of the best Italian favorites that you can easily find in grocery stores around the world.
Did you know that most pasta is vegan by default? A lot of people don’t.It’s actually a common misconception to think that pasta isn’t vegan, and there is a good reason for that.
For example, fresh pasta sold in the fridge department at the grocery store typically contains eggs. The same goes for traditional homemade, pasta at a lot of upscale restaurants, especially in Italy as well as a lot of lasagna sheets. You should also steer clear of ravioli and other cheese-filled pasta.
However, most boxed pasta you find on the shelves at your grocery store is, in fact, vegan and doesn't contain any animal ingredients at all. There are even a couple of well-known, all vegan pasta brands.
Even though the pasta you’re likely consuming on a regular basis is almost always vegan, it doesn't hurt to quickly glance at the ingredients to double check.
You should see durum wheat semolina and some added vitamins. You might come across a label that says "may contain traces of milk or eggs," but you can rest assured the pasta is vegan, and that's an allergy warning about shared equipment.
Now, let’s take a look at some of the most popular and easy to find vegan pasta brands out there. The following brands offer everything from classics such as penne and spaghetti to vegan lasagna and gnocchi as well as gluten-free and whole grain options.
Best Vegan Pasta Brands
Barilla - The World’s Biggest Pasta Brand
Barilla, the uncrowned king of pasta and a brand you can find in grocery stores around the world from Italy to the United States all the way to Asia. According to the brand itself, it’s the biggest seller of pasta and baked goods in Italy, and a brand we’ve all eaten at some point.
No wonder why so many wonder, is Barilla pasta vegan?
Based in Parma, Italy, Barilla has been producing vegan pasta since 1877. Today they’re probably most known for their spaghetti, but they sell more than 50 types of pasta and most of them are vegan by default.
For instance, their rigatoni, penne, farfalle (butterflies/bow ties), spaghetti, bucatini, and most of their gluten-free pastas are free of animal products.
Just be careful because not all Barilla pasta is vegan, and you should stay clear of their lasagna, most fresh pasta, and certain types of fettuccine.
The best way to try Barilla's pasta is with one of their variety packs or go for their most sold product ever, Barilla Spagetthi n.5.
Read Next: A Glutton's Guide To Vegan Food in Italy
De Cecco - Our Personal Favorite
De Cecco iseasily the brand that we consume the most, and for two people that eat pasta almost everyday, that’s a lot of pasta.
The De Cecco family has been making and selling pasta in the rolling hills of Fara San Martino, Italy since 1886. They credit their amazing products to the combination of high-quality semolina flour and fresh spring water available in the region.
The brand is affordable and readily available in most of the Western world as well as Asia. And to us, it’s evident that their products hold a really high standard. That's why we prefer them over almost all other vegan pasta brands.
In fact, De Cecco only carries two kinds of pasta that contain egg, the Egg Fettucine no. 103 and Egg Pappardelle no. 101. Besides that, the rest of their selection is free from any animal derivatives.
We would argue that they are actually more vegan-friendly than Barilla since De Cecco's lasagna is egg-free and their potato gnocchi is 100% vegan.
Another bonus is that De Cecco offers nearly 20 types of whole-grain vegan pasta if that's what you're looking for.
We suggest you try something different and make DeCecco'svegan gnocchi for dinner, or secure yourself a good deal with their12-packs directly from Amazon Pantry. If you want to know why we love them so much, you should opt forthe De Cecco Rigatoni.
*Image Credit: De Cecco
Colavita - All-Vegan Pasta Brand
Colavita in another Italian pasta brand that’s sold across the globe. It’s typically a little cheaper than Barilla and DeCecco, but the quality is on a very similar level.
Better yet, according to Colavita’s website, all of their pasta is made only using durum wheat and spring water, meaning their entire selection iscompletelyvegan. Nevertheless, being the skeptics we are, we had to make sure that was actually the case. So while writing this article, we contacted them to ask if they use egg or dairy in any their pasta. Within a few says, we received the following email:
Thank you for contacting us and for your interest in our products.
No, we do not sell any pasta with egg or dairy in it.
Sincerely,
Colavita
In other words, Colavita is an all-vegan pasta brand, so you can never go wrong.
Similar to Barilla, Colavita has a large selection of pasta types ranging fromspaghetti andpenne to smaller kinds perfect for soups. And as far as we can tell, they don't make fresh pasta, hence the reason they're all-vegan.
*Image Credit: Colavita
Garofalo - Exclusive Vegan Pasta
Garofalo was founded in 1789 making it the oldest pasta brand on this list and potentially in the entire world. Once again, it’s an Italian pasta brand, and although they have a wide vegan selection, they make a few types with egg.
This is an exclusive pasta brand and their products are usually the most expensive in the store. But trust us when we say that the quality is exceptionally great, and we do recommend you try them.
We have a weak spot for their paccheri and think it's the best we’ve tried. Then again, we haven’t been disappointed by any of their products.
Besides making vegan durum wheat pasta, Garofalo offers whole grain, gluten-free, and certified organic pasta, and all of them are free from eggs and dairy.
The only pasta they offer that isn’t vegan are eight types of filled ravioli and tortellini, and 4 kinds of regular fresh pasta with egg. All of which clearly state "egg pasta" on the package.
In addition to our proclaimed love for their paccheri, we suggest you try their variety packs so you can find your own favorite. Garofalo also recently released a selection of healthy and gluten-free vegan pasta made from quinoa, rice, and corn.
*Image Credit: Garofalo
Rummo - Varied Selection Including Gluten-Free and Whole Grain
The last on our list is Rummo. Based in Benevento, Italy, Rummo might very well have the second-largest selection of vegan pasta after Barilla. It ranges from 7 types of spaghetti and all-vegan potato gnocchis to several alternatives made from chickpeas and lentils. This is all in addition to the selection of classics that you're used to.
Rummo has even developed a professional line of pasta that stays “al dente” longer so that it can be doubled cooked at restaurants.
They also have a few types of egg pasta, most of them fresh, but other than that, this is one of the most vegan-friendly pasta brands available today.
In terms of availability, Rummo is a bit more limited. We have seen them around Europe and most stores in the US carry them just don't expect them to be as easy to find as the other brands mentioned above.
We always use their buccatini when making vegan cacio e pepe and the Rummo gluten-free spaghetti is really enjoyable.
*Image Credit: Rummo
What’s Pasta Made From?
So as you can see, it's almost easier to find vegan pasta brands in most places than it is to find pasta with animal ingredients.
But what exactly is pasta made from? It’s actually pretty simple.Traditionally, there are two ways of making pasta, and they’re similar.
You can either use flour and egg or flour and water. But it’s not just any type of flour. Italians are known to be specific about the products they use, and pasta is no exception.
Therefore, only the highest quality durum wheat is used in the process. For example, DeCecco, who we mentioned above, has very strict protocols for what flour they use. Every batch of grain is quality controlled several times before and after harvest. It's later checked several times more during the milling of the wheat and the making of the pasta.
For the most exclusive pasta, durum semolina is used because the coarse ground wheat yields a much higher quality pasta.
How To Make Your Own Vegan Pasta
Making homemade vegan pasta is much easier than you probably think, especially making tortellini or ravioli and even longer pasta like tagliatelle. However, withthe right tools and a pasta machine, you can make whichever kind you prefer.
That being said, making pasta is still an art-form, and we suggest you learn from a real professional just like we did. The following video is a perfect introduction to homemade, egg-free, vegan pasta, and we can vouch for the recipe.
This page contains affiliate links which means we receive a small commission at no additional cost to you when using our link to make a purchase.
Leave a Reply
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
