A cup of cooked regular spaghetti has 43g of carbs. Most wheat pasta shapes land between 40-45g per cup cooked. Restaurant portions are typically 2-3 cups.
By shape (1 cup cooked, ~140g)
| Pasta | Carbs | Fiber |
|---|---|---|
| Spaghetti | 43g | 3g |
| Penne | 43g | 2g |
| Fettuccine | 44g | 2g |
| Rigatoni | 43g | 2g |
| Angel hair | 43g | 2g |
| Lasagna noodles | 41g | 2g |
| Whole wheat spaghetti | 37g | 6g |
| Gluten-free corn pasta | 47g | 3g |
| Chickpea pasta (Banza) | 32g | 8g |
| Lentil pasta | 30g | 7g |
| Edamame pasta | 20g | 13g |
Real-world serving sizes
- Olive Garden plain spaghetti (lunch portion): ~85g carbs
- Olive Garden dinner pasta: ~130g carbs
- Frozen pasta meal (Stouffer's): 40-60g
- Pasta salad side at a deli (1 cup): 35-50g
Lower-carb pasta swaps
- **Zucchini noodles**: 4g per cup
- **Spaghetti squash**: 10g per cup
- **Shirataki noodles**: 1g per serving
- **Hearts of palm pasta (Palmini)**: 4g per cup
- **Kelp noodles**: 1g per cup
The al dente trick
Pasta cooked al dente has a meaningfully lower glycemic index (~45) than soft-cooked pasta (~65). Same carbs, slower curve.