Have you ever spent good money on pasta, cooked it perfectly, added your favorite sauce, and still ended up with a disappointing dinner? I’ve been there too. Not all pasta is created equal, and some brands simply aren’t worth your hard-earned cash. After testing tons of brands from grocery store shelves, I’m sharing which pastas you should skip and which ones actually deserve a spot in your pantry. The results might surprise you – especially when you learn that price doesn’t always match quality.
San Remo falls short on texture and sauce absorption
San Remo pasta takes the bottom spot on our list for good reason. When you cook it, you’ll notice right away that something’s off. The pasta has a strange dark orange color with noticeable black spots throughout, which doesn’t look appetizing on your plate. But the real problem comes when you take your first bite. The texture is surprisingly soft, even when you follow the package cooking times exactly, making it nearly impossible to achieve that perfect al dente bite that makes pasta so satisfying.
The biggest disappointment comes when you add sauce. Instead of nicely coating each strand or shape, the sauce just slides right off the smooth surface. This happens because San Remo pasta doesn’t have the rough texture needed to grab onto sauce properly. You’ll end up with bland pasta and a pool of sauce at the bottom of your bowl. Even Italian chefs specifically point out that San Remo’s poor drying process affects both its texture and ability to hold sauce, making it a brand to avoid despite its affordable price point.
Great Value pasta lacks any distinctive flavor
Walmart’s Great Value pasta might save you a few cents, but you’ll pay for it in other ways. The first thing you’ll notice is how bland it tastes. Even when cooked properly, there’s virtually no wheat flavor that good pasta should have. It’s just a flavorless filler that relies entirely on whatever sauce you put on it. This becomes especially obvious if you try it with just a bit of olive oil and cheese – the pasta itself contributes nothing to the meal.
The texture also leaves much to be desired. Great Value pasta often cooks unevenly, with some pieces turning mushy while others remain too firm. This inconsistency makes it frustrating to cook with, especially when feeding a family. According to taste tests, Great Value basically serves as a simple vessel for sauces without adding anything to the dish. While it’s certainly the cheapest option on store shelves, the savings aren’t worth the disappointing dining experience you’ll get in return.
Dreamfields has an off-putting sour aftertaste
Dreamfields pasta markets itself as a healthier alternative, but your taste buds will immediately tell you something’s not right. When you take your first bite, you might notice a weird sour flavor that lingers long after you’re done eating. This off-putting taste isn’t just your imagination – many pasta lovers have commented on this strange aftertaste that ruins the entire meal no matter what sauce you pair it with. Even multiple rinses after cooking can’t seem to wash away this unpleasant flavor.
Beyond the taste issues, Dreamfields just doesn’t hold up well during cooking. The pasta tends to break apart easily and doesn’t maintain a consistent texture throughout. One pasta reviewer specifically noted the sour flavor as a major reason to avoid this brand altogether. If you’re looking for a healthier pasta option, you’d be better off with whole wheat varieties from other brands or even legume-based pastas that don’t sacrifice flavor in such an unpleasant way.
Whole Foods 365 brand is underwhelming for the price
When you shop at Whole Foods, you expect to get quality that matches the higher price tag. Unfortunately, their 365 Everyday Value pasta doesn’t deliver. Despite costing more than many mainstream brands, this pasta is remarkably ordinary. The flavor is flat and one-dimensional, lacking the nutty, wheaty notes that make good pasta worth eating. If you were to do a side-by-side taste test with a basic store brand, you’d struggle to tell the difference – except your wallet would certainly notice.
The texture is another letdown. The pasta often cooks up softer than the package indicates, making it easy to accidentally end up with mushy pasta. Reviewers have found that 365 brand pasta isn’t particularly distinctive compared to other store brands, despite its premium positioning. For a store that prides itself on quality ingredients, their pasta falls surprisingly short. You’re essentially paying extra for the Whole Foods name without getting any noticeable improvement in your pasta experience.
Bionaturae pasta falls apart during cooking
Bionaturae positions itself as an authentic Italian organic pasta, but don’t be fooled by the fancy packaging. The biggest problem with this brand becomes apparent as soon as you drain it – poor resistance strength. This pasta simply doesn’t hold its shape well during cooking, often becoming too soft even before reaching the recommended cooking time. For dishes like pasta salads or heartier sauces, this becomes a real problem as the pasta breaks apart easily when stirred or served.
The pasta’s structure is so weak that many pieces can split down the middle during cooking. This structural failure means your sauce won’t distribute evenly, and you’ll end up with broken pasta pieces that look messy on the plate. Testing shows that Bionaturae just doesn’t hold up well with heartier sauces due to its poor strength. While the organic ingredients might seem appealing, the actual eating experience falls well short of what good pasta should deliver. You’re better off choosing another organic brand that maintains its shape and texture properly.
Barilla quality varies too much between packages
Barilla is probably the most recognized pasta brand in America, found in practically every grocery store. But this mass-produced pasta has a consistency problem – not in its texture, but in its quality control. One box might cook up perfectly while the next is disappointing. The most visible issue is the white and black spots that frequently appear on the pasta, a clear sign of poor or inconsistent drying processes. These spots aren’t just cosmetic – they affect how the pasta cooks and how well it holds sauce.
When you cook Barilla, you’ll notice it doesn’t have the ideal texture that helps sauce cling to it. Instead, the sauce tends to slide off rather than fusing with the pasta. While some taste tests rank Barilla relatively high, especially their more premium “Artisanal” line, the standard Barilla products that most people buy simply don’t deliver consistent quality. The pasta is certainly edible and widely available, which explains its popularity, but pasta enthusiasts looking for a reliable, high-quality product will often be disappointed by Barilla’s inconsistency from package to package.
De Cecco is better but still overpriced for what you get
De Cecco sits in the middle range of pasta brands – not terrible by any means, but definitely overpriced for what it delivers. When you cook De Cecco, you’ll notice it does have a decent texture and holds its shape well. The pasta has a somewhat pleasant wheat flavor that’s noticeably better than cheaper brands. However, the question becomes whether that slight improvement is worth the significant price jump you’ll pay at the register. For many home cooks making everyday meals, the answer is probably no.
Where De Cecco falls short is in its sauce-holding ability. Despite its reputation as a premium brand, it doesn’t have the truly rough texture that helps sauce cling to each piece. Multiple taste tests place De Cecco as a moderately-priced workhorse pasta that works adequately with sauces, but it’s not exceptional. Other reviews found De Cecco had a more natural flavor profile compared to Barilla, but the differences were subtle at best. While certainly not the worst pasta on the market, De Cecco simply doesn’t justify its premium price point when compared to the very best pastas available.
The truly excellent pasta brands worth your money
After all these disappointments, you might wonder if any pasta is worth buying. The good news is yes – there are brands that deliver truly excellent quality that’s worth every penny. Brands like Liguori, from the famous pasta-making town of Gragnano, offer pasta with a bright color, perfect texture, and an ideal surface for grabbing onto sauce. The slow drying process these premium brands use results in pasta with better nutrition and a more satisfying bite that holds up beautifully during cooking.
Other standout brands include Pastificio Di Martino, which has a luxurious texture similar to fresh pasta, and Rustichella D’Abruzzo with its slightly toasty flavor profile. Rao’s pasta received high marks in blind taste tests for its subtle butteriness, while Garofalo impressed with its pleasing springy texture. For the ultimate splurge, look for Martelli, which many pasta enthusiasts consider the absolute best quality available in America, though it can be harder to find. These premium pastas cost more, but the improvement in your meals will be immediately noticeable – proving that sometimes, quality really is worth paying for.
Next time you’re staring at the pasta aisle feeling overwhelmed by choices, remember that the brand you choose really does make a difference. Skip the disappointing options and reach for one of the quality brands instead. Your weeknight pasta dinners will go from basic to amazing with this one simple change, and you’ll never want to go back to the subpar stuff again.
