Bean & Lentil Pasta: Nutrients, What Research Shows and Safety

Bean and lentil pasta is dried pasta made partly or wholly from legume flours instead of wheat. The flour comes from seeds of plants in the pea family (Fabaceae), such as chickpeas (Cicer arietinum), lentils (Lens culinaris), peas and beans. People choose it for more protein and fiber than ordinary pasta and as a wheat-free option. Products differ a lot: some are 100% legume flour, and some are blends, so the label matters. [6] This page keeps the pasta apart from whole cooked beans, from flours sold on their own, and from hype.

Read this first

• No USDA values exist for this food. USDA FoodData Central (our usual source) has no legume-pasta entry in the data we use. The numbers below come from one laboratory analysis of one chickpea pasta made of 100% chickpea flour. Other products will differ, so read the Nutrition Facts label on yours. [1]
• "Made from beans" does not mean "gluten-free". Legumes are naturally free of the gluten grains, but wheat and barley grains have been found mixed into bags of dry lentils, so cross-contact is possible. The FDA allows the words "gluten-free" only below 20 parts per million. [2] [3] If you have celiac disease, look for that label claim.
• Allergy: lentil, chickpea and pea allergy exist and often occur together. Some people with peanut allergy react to lupin, which is used in some wheat-free flour mixes. Check the ingredient list. For trouble breathing or swelling of the face or throat, call 911 (or your local emergency number). [4] [5] [7]
• Gas: most legumes are high in FODMAPs, a group of carbohydrates that gut bacteria ferment, which can matter for people with irritable bowel syndrome. We did not find FODMAP testing for legume pasta. [8]
• Evidence in one line: small studies show chickpea pasta gives a modest blood sugar response in healthy people. We found no trial of legume pasta for cholesterol, weight or any disease. [1] [9]

What is in it (measured, not USDA)

The values are for raw (dry) chickpea pasta made from 100% chickpea flour, measured in a Polish laboratory study of one commercial product, per 100 g of dry pasta. [1] Cooked pasta weighs more because it absorbs water, so these numbers are not for cooked pasta. The study did not report energy, vitamins or minerals other than fiber and ash. The serving column is our illustration of 2 ounces (56 g) of dry pasta, worked out from the per-100-g values; it is not an official portion. [1]

% Daily Value uses the FDA 2016 Daily Values for protein (50 g), fiber (28 g), carbohydrate (275 g) and fat (78 g); values vary with the legume, the recipe and the brand. A different study cited by the same authors says cooked chickpea pasta has about 1.5 times the protein and 3.2 times the fiber of cooked durum wheat pasta per unit of energy, but we did not read that original paper. [1]

Plant compounds: legumes contain resistant starch (a starch that is not fully digested in the small intestine), and the chickpea pasta study measured it. [1] We did not read an analysis of polyphenols or other plant compounds in legume pasta.

What research says

An observational or lab result is not proof that eating the pasta changes your health. Eaten as pasta vs other legume forms. Most research here is on whole cooked chickpeas, lentils and beans, or on flours. The pasta is a ground, extruded and dried product, and one trial shows that milling can change the sugar response. [11] Do not assume trial results for whole beans carry over to pasta.

How much is a normal serving

We did not find an official serving size for legume pasta in the sources we read, and the USDA data we use has no entry. The chickpea pasta study used a test portion that supplied 50 g of available carbohydrate, which is a research standard for measuring glycemic index, not a recommended portion. [1] Check the serving size and Nutrition Facts on the pack. Energy depends on the product and was not reported in the study we read. [1] This is information, not a prescription.

If you are managing blood sugar, the pasta study measured a response in healthy people only. [1] Talk to your clinician or dietitian about your own meals. See foods for blood sugar control.

Safety, allergy and medicines

• Gluten and celiac disease. Legumes are not gluten grains, but unavoidable cross-contact happens in farming, transport and factories. The FDA says unavoidable gluten must stay under 20 ppm for a "gluten-free" claim. [2] In a 2022 check of 25 bags of dry lentils, 2 contained wheat or barley grains; the authors paid for the study through their company and recommend sorting and rinsing whole lentils and choosing gluten-free labeled products. [3] That study was of whole lentils, not pasta. If you have celiac disease, choose pasta carrying a gluten-free label. See gluten, celiac disease and gluten sensitivity basics.
• Legume allergy. A review lists the most allergenic legumes as peanut, soybean, lentil, chickpea, pea, mung bean and red gram, in decreasing order. [4] In a Spanish study of 54 children with legume allergy, 69% were allergic to two or more legumes, most often lentil with chickpea or pea. [13] A 2024 review says peanut, lupine, soy, chickpea and lentil form the most common clinical cross-reaction pattern. [7]
• Lupin. Lupin flour is used as a wheat-free substitute and is called a hidden allergen for people with peanut allergy. [7] The EU requires lupin to be labeled; the FDA does not list it among the nine major US allergens. [5] [7] Soy and wheat are major US allergens, so read the ingredient list and the "contains" statement. [5]
• Emergency. Severe allergic reactions (anaphylaxis) are a medical emergency; MedlinePlus says call 911. [14]
• Gas and FODMAPs. Monash University lists most legumes and pulses as high in FODMAPs. [8] The NIDDK lists beans and lentils among foods containing FODMAPs and says a doctor may suggest a short low-FODMAP trial for irritable bowel syndrome. [15] We did not find FODMAP testing of legume pasta. See beans, gas, FODMAPs and digestion.
• Fiber. A serving with several grams of fiber is a big jump for someone used to refined pasta. The NIDDK advises raising fiber by 2 to 3 g a day to avoid gas and bloating. [15]
• Medicines, pregnancy, kidney disease. We did not read a source on legume pasta with any of these. See foods in pregnancy and foods, kidney disease, potassium and oxalates.

Choosing, storing and food safety

• Read the ingredient list: some products are 100% legume flour and some are blends with wheat or other flours. [6] [1]
• For a wheat-free diet, look for a gluten-free label, not only "made from chickpeas." [2]
• Cooking and chilling: in the one study we read, cooling cooked chickpea pasta for 24 hours at 4 degrees Celsius and reheating it doubled its measured resistant starch. [1] That is a lab and small-trial finding, not a safety rule; we did not read cooling and reheating advice from a food-safety agency here, so see food storage, leftovers and food safety basics.

Related pages

• Chickpeas
• Lentils
• Legumes: what trials found
• Whole wheat pasta
• Resistant starch foods
• Food allergy basics and emergency signs