Every 100 kcal of pasta brings 3.7 g of protein. On that measure it ranks 36th of the 111 grains in this database and 557th of all 796 foods on the site. Measured by weight instead, its 5.8 g per 100 g ranks 78th in its group.
Around 15% of the calories in pasta come from protein, so it is more of an energy food than a protein food. It contributes to a day's protein total, but the bulk of what it delivers is energy rather than amino acids - treat it as a contributor alongside a denser source, not as the protein in a meal.
Weight for weight, pasta has 6.2 g of protein for each gram of fat (5.8 g against 0.93 g per 100 g).
Set against wild rice, another grain entry in the database, a serving carries about 0.7 g more protein (wild rice has 6.5 g per 1 cup cooked).
It is an incomplete protein on its own; pairing it with other plant foods across the day covers the full range of essential amino acids. The serving quoted here is measured by volume at 124 g, and it covers about 14% of the 50 g FDA Daily Value for protein.
Serving sizes
Protein in common portions of pasta
Protein and calories in Pasta for 100 g, the site serving and USDA household portions.
Portion
Weight
Protein
Calories
100 g
100 g
5.8 g
158 kcal
1 cup cooked (serving used here)
124 g
7.2 g
196 kcal
1 cup spaghetti packed
151 g
8.8 g
239 kcal
1 cup elbows not packed
120 g
7 g
190 kcal
1 cup elbows packed
132 g
7.7 g
209 kcal
1 cup penne
107 g
6.2 g
169 kcal
1 cup shells
105 g
6.1 g
166 kcal
Portion weights are the household measures listed on the USDA record; protein and calories scale from the per-100 g figures.
Amino acids
Essential amino acids in pasta
The nine essential amino acids in Pasta, per 100 g, per serving and per gram of protein.
Amino acid
Per 100 g
Per serving
mg per g protein
leucine
0.434 g
0.54 g
75
lysine
0.131 g
0.16 g
23
valine
0.258 g
0.32 g
44
isoleucine
0.224 g
0.28 g
39
threonine
0.203 g
0.25 g
35
phenylalanine
0.293 g
0.36 g
51
methionine
0.064 g
0.08 g
11
histidine
0.131 g
0.16 g
23
tryptophan
0.081 g
0.1 g
14
Per-100 g values are the amino acid analysis on the USDA record. The serving and per-gram-of-protein columns are arithmetic on those values; they are not a protein quality score.
SampleWhat goal trends look like after a week
109 g
Average per logged day
4 of 7
Days goal met
71%
Complete-protein share
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Sun
Sample figures for one made-up week against a 110 g goal, not your data. Red bars met the goal. Your own log fills this in with Premium.
5.8 g. The 1 cup cooked serving used on this page weighs 124 g and so carries 7.2 g.
How much protein do you get per 100 calories of pasta?
3.7 g. That figure divides its 5.8 g of protein per 100 g by its 158 kcal per 100 g, so it does not depend on serving size.
Is the protein in pasta complete?
No. On its own, the protein in pasta is short of at least one essential amino acid; other protein sources across the day fill the gap.
What share of the protein Daily Value is one serving of pasta?
About 14%. One 1 cup cooked serving has 7.2 g, and the FDA Daily Value for protein is 50 g.
Figures from USDA FoodData Central record #169737 (Pasta, cooked, enriched, without added salt), SR Legacy data. USDA data is in the public domain. Values are the published reference figures for that record, not lab measurements for a specific brand or batch.