Barilla Penne Rigate Durum Wheat Pasta
Red flags
No major red flags on the label.
Green flags
- +Green flag: High protein (12.5g per 100g)
- +Green flag: Source of fibre
- +Green flag: No additives
Ingredients, decoded
2 listed- Durum wheat semolina
- water
Our take
CleanPlate reviewPlain durum wheat penne with nothing added
Barilla Classic Penne Rigate No. 73 is a 500 g pack of dried durum wheat pasta made from durum wheat semolina and water only.
CleanPlate scores it DA1. The D for nutrition is low: only 12.5 g protein and 3 g fibre per 100 g and little else credited. The A for ingredients reflects a mix of whole and refined ingredients (led by durum wheat semolina), and almost no additives. The 1 for risk is low: sodium, free sugar and saturated fat are all modest (free sugar 0 g and saturated fat 0.5 g per 100 g; sodium prints as under 5 mg).
How DA1 breaks down
Each grade is scored on its own. Here are the label numbers behind each one, per 100 g.
Low nutrient density
- Protein
- 12.5 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
- Vitamins and minerals
- None declared
- Energy
- 364 kcal
Scored on protein, fibre and twelve vitamins and minerals, against the Codex and FSSAI "source" and "high" levels, per 100 g and per 100 kcal.
Clean, minimally processed
- Base
- Durum wheat semolina
- Sweeteners
- None added
- Additives
- 0
- Flagged
- None
Scored on how processed the ingredients are, which additives are used and why, and whether the label keeps its promises.
Clean
- Total sugar
- 3.5 g
- Saturated fat
- 0.5 g
Scored on free sugar, sodium, saturated fat and trans fat, each weighed by how strong the evidence of harm is.
A closer look
Does the label add up?
Durum wheat semolina, water.
Per 100 g: 364 kcal, 2 g fat of which 0.5 g saturated, 3.5 g sugar, 3 g fibre, 12.5 g protein. The panel prints per 100 g only and sodium as 'less than 5 mg', so no sodium number is stored. This is the panel the user chose from three different ones printed on the pack. Wheat origin and claims come from the earlier record, and the pack text is partly Portuguese. Net 500 g.
Ingredients to watch
- Refined grainWorth watching
Semolina is refined durum wheat, with 3 g of fibre per 100 g.
- SodiumFine
Under 5 mg per 100 g.
- SugarFine
3.5 g per 100 g, none of it added.
Common misconceptions
Myth: "Pasta is a high-sugar food"
Total sugars are 3.5 g per 100 g and none is added.
Myth: "Imported pasta is healthier"
The label shows only semolina and water; the score reflects the ingredients, not the country.
How often, and how
- Healthy adultsA few times a week
- ChildrenOccasionally
- Diabetes or prediabetesOccasionally
Smarter ways to eat it
Add vegetables and legumes to the sauce
They add the fibre and protein that pasta alone lacks.
Try a whole wheat pasta sometimes
It keeps more of the grain's fibre than semolina pasta.
Common questions
Is Barilla Penne Rigate Durum Wheat Pasta healthy?
Barilla Penne Rigate Durum Wheat Pasta scores DA1 (Fair) on CleanPlate, which makes it an occasional-use product, where the concerns start to outweigh the positives. We found no major red flags on its label. On the plus side: High protein (12.5g per 100g); Source of fibre; No additives.
What does the DA1 score mean?
The first letter (D) grades nutritional value: low nutrient density. The second letter (A) grades ingredient and label integrity: clean, minimally processed. The number (1) grades risk nutrients (sugar, sodium, saturated fat): clean.
Last reviewed October 19, 2026. Scored with the CleanPlate method from the published label.