The Best Store-Bought Penne

penne taste test main — Credit: Allrecipes Illustration

It's safe to say that most of us, with the exception of calligraphy enthusiasts, don't have a feather quill on hand. But if you do, you might notice that the tube-shaped pasta bears a striking resemblance to the nib of that classic writing implement, down to the angular cut of its ends. Penne may have been named after a now outdated penmanship tool, but the pasta shape has hardly waned in popularity. Its outer ridges and inner tube make it perfect for soaking up flavorful sauces, whether you're complimenting your penne with a delicious vodka sauce or topping them with garlicky, buttery shrimp.

But penne's popularity means facing a plethora of competing brands in store, each hoping to sell you on the virtue of their particular nib-shaped noodles. To find out which brand of penne deserves to be on your plate, we tested 11 kinds of penne, all of which are available online or in stores. Here are our picks, from best to worst.

Best Penne at a Glance

Best Overall: Little Italy in the Bronx
Runners-Up: Runmo, Signature Reserve
Best Budget Penne: Anna, Signature Select
Best Wheat-Based Penne: De Cecco
Best Gluten-Free Penne: Jovial Organic Brown Rice Penne
Best Protein Penne: Veggiecraft Penne Made with Cauliflower or Zucchini

What We Looked For When Ranking Penne

Taste: As always, taste is the most important factor we consider. For this test, we looked for penne that had a pleasant taste when eaten plain, but not so much flavor that it would compete with added sauce. We also considered how well each brand of penne was able to absorb salt taste from the boiling water, as unseasoned pasta is a curse unto itself.

Price: Ultimately, a bowl of penne shouldn't be a budget breaker. Most of the brands we considered cost $4 or less for a 16 ounce box, although some specialty varieties cost a bit more. Some of the brands we considered were far more affordable, costing less than a $1.50 without sacrificing quality.

Additional Features: Beyond taste and price, we considered the cooking time of each penne. Most took about 13 minutes to reach an al dente consistency, though a few were ready in under 10 minutes. We also took texture into consideration during this test, and noted which brands had more discernible ridges and which were more likely to lose their shape when cooked.

How We Tested Each Penne

With 11 boxes of penne on hand, we wanted to make sure to conduct this test with as little waste as possible. For this test, which I conducted solo, I boiled a fourth of a cup of pasta in the smallest pot I had until the penne reached an al dente texture. I then tested at least two of each penne variety plain, to get a feel for what it tasted like on its own. Finally, I topped the penne with chicken parmesan my wife had made up the day before so that I could better test each noodle's ability to soak up sauce.

Best Overall: Little Italy in the Bronx Penne Rigate

little italy in the bronx tuscan wheat penne — Safeway

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A few of the penne brands we tested tasted a bit tasteless on their own, but not so with Little Italy. Besides absorbing the perfect amount of salt from the boiling water, Little Italy has a light wheat taste that sets it up to be a perfect compliment for lighter and heavier sauces alike. Although these penne were a bit smaller than some of their competitors, Little Italy still did a better job than most at picking up the perfect amount of sauce per bite. It's certainly not the cheapest of our penne picks, but it was undoubtedly the tastiest.

Runners-Up: Rummo Penne Rigate and Signature Reserve Paste Penne Rigate

rummo and signature reserve penne pasta — Safeway

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If you're looking for a premium penne that's a tad bit cheaper, Rummo and Safeway's Signature Reserve are both great finds. While both had slightly less flavor than Little Italy, they both did an excellent job of picking up sauce. Signature Reserve's penne are also a bit bigger than Rummo's or Little Italy when cooked, making it potentially a better option for casseroles, pasta salads, and other concoctions where flavor absorption is paramount. Rummo, on the other hand, yielded a slightly firmer al dente texture than Signature Reserve, which might make it a good pick for lighter sauces and other dishes where the penne's texture takes center stage.

Best Budget Penne: Anna Penne Rigate and Signature Select Pasta Penne Rigate

anna and signature select penne — Cento, Safeway

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Looking for a good quality penne at a bargain price? You can do no better than Anna's and Signature Select's penne rigate. These penne varieties lack a bit of the texture integrity of their more expensive cousins, but you still can get a decent al dente texture out of them. More importantly, they taste considerably close to Signature Reserve or Rummo, and at half the price. If you can't fathom spending much more than a dollar on pasta, then these are the brands for you.

Best Wheat-Based Penne: De Cecco Penne Rigate

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Fans of strong flavors in their pasta will rejoice to find De Cecco. Even when sauced, the wheat flavor of these penne came through without clashing unpleasantly with the chicken parmesan I topped it with. Granted, De Cecco is a bit more expensive than some of its less flavorful competitors. But if flavorful pasta is important to you, then it's well worth the extra cash.

Best Gluten-Free Penne: Jovial 100 % Organic Brown Rice Penne Rigate

jovial brown rice gluten-free penne — Walmart

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Had I been served Jovial's penne blindfolded, I'm not sure I would have suspected it was a gluten-free variety. This penne has a lighter taste than some of its competitors, but its texture is identical to wheat-based pasta, something that can't be universally claimed of all gluten-free brands. The penne were also a bit on the bigger side, making it a great choice for wheat-free chefs who want a pasta that will stand up to heavier sauces. Jovial's penne didn't do the best job of soaking up the salt taste from the boiling water, so it may need a bit more seasoning than some of our other featured brands. And, because it's a gluten-free variety, it's a good deal more expensive than its wheat-based cousins. Still, if you're looking for the best gluten-free penne for your buck, this brand is not a bad way to go.

Best Protein Penne: Veggiecraft Pasta Penne Made with Cauliflower and Veggiecraft Paste Penne Made with Zucchini

veggiecraft penne made with cauliflower and zucchini — Instacart

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If you have a few veggie skeptics in your family, then Veggiecraft's penne offerings might be worth a try. Besides being gluten-free, these pastas boast 22 grams of protein per serving and are made with only three ingredients. Granted, the added protein makes for a slightly off aftertaste, but that unpleasant side effect fades once the pasta is covered in sauce. If you're worried about strong flavors deterring picky eaters, try going for the zucchini option first. It has a much lighter and sweeter flavor that should go over well with the entire family.