Chef's BasketPasta#5 of 9 in categoryRating 3.7/5

Chef's Basket Durum Wheat Semolina Penne Pasta

Chef's Basket durum wheat penne pasta pack

Red flags

No major red flags on the label.

Green flags

  • Green flag: High protein (10.9g per 100g)
  • Green flag: No additives

Ingredients, decoded

1 listed
  • Durum Wheat Semolina
ConcernWorth watchingIn label order. Tap a highlighted one to learn more.

Nutrition per 100 g
ENutritionAIngredients1Risk
Energy349.9 kcal
Protein10.9 g
Carbohydrates74.5 g
Total sugars2 g
Total fat0.9 g
Highlighted values exceed FSSAI and UK FSA front of pack thresholds.

Our take

CleanPlate review

Plain durum pasta with three panel lines missing

Chef's Basket Durum Wheat Semolina Penne Pasta is a 500 g pack of dried penne made from one ingredient, durum wheat semolina. The panel is printed per 100 g.

CleanPlate scores it EA1. The E for nutrition is low: only 10.9 g protein 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 per 100 g; the pack prints no sodium or saturated fat).

Claims vs reality

What the pack says, checked against the ingredient list and nutrition panel.

  • On the pack

    “Durum Wheat Penne Pasta”

    Holds

    Durum wheat semolina is the only ingredient.

How EA1 breaks down

Each grade is scored on its own. Here are the label numbers behind each one, per 100 g.

How we score →
01 Nutritional valueA to E
E

Very low nutrient density

Protein
10.9 g
Fibre
Not declared
Vitamins and minerals
None declared
Energy
350 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.

02 Ingredient & label integrityA to E
A

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.

03 Risk nutrients1 to 5
1

Clean

Total sugar
2 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.

Per 100 g: 350 kcal, 0.9 g fat, 2 g sugar, 10.9 g protein. The pack prints energy, protein, carbohydrate, sugars and fat only; fibre, saturated fat, trans fat, sodium and an added-sugar line are not printed, and the listing text (fat 0 g, added sugar 0 g) does not match the pack, which reads 0.9 g fat. Missing lines are not counted against the score.

Ingredients to watch

  • Panel gapsWorth watching

    No fibre, saturated fat or sodium line is printed.

  • ProteinWorth watching

    10.9 g per 100 g, but wheat protein is only half credited.

  • IngredientsFine

    Durum wheat semolina only, no additives.

  • SugarFine

    2 g total sugar per 100 g, none added.

Common misconceptions

Myth: "Pasta is fattening"

Dry pasta has 0.9 g fat per 100 g; the energy (349.9 kcal) comes from carbohydrate.

Myth: "Durum wheat means high protein"

10.9 g per 100 g is ordinary for wheat pasta.

How often, and how

  • Healthy adultsOccasionally
  • ChildrenRarely
  • Diabetes or prediabetesLimit

Smarter ways to eat it

Add pulses

Toss with chickpeas or dal and vegetables to lift protein and fibre.

Watch the serve

An 80 g dry portion is about 280 kcal.

Common questions

Is Chef's Basket Durum Wheat Semolina Penne Pasta healthy?

Chef's Basket Durum Wheat Semolina Penne Pasta scores EA1 (Poor) on CleanPlate, which makes it best kept as a rare treat rather than a regular buy. We found no major red flags on its label. On the plus side: High protein (10.9g per 100g); No additives.

What does the EA1 score mean?

The first letter (E) grades nutritional value: very 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.

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