Cooked pasta: calories, protein, vitamins
USDA FoodData Central data, retrieved October 2026 · state: cooked
Cooked pasta: 158 kcal, 5.8 g protein, 0.9 g fat and 30.9 g carbohydrate per 100 g. A typical portion is 1 serving (180 g): about 284 kcal. Below you will find a table with the share of the daily reference, a comparison with five similar foods and where the numbers come from.
- High in selenium · 48%
- Good source of manganese · 16%
- Good source of protein · 12%
- Good source of copper · 11%
- Low in fat
| Nutrition | per 100 g | % daily value | portion (180 g) | % daily value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calories | 158 kcal | 8% | 284 kcal | 14% |
| Protein | 5.8 g | 12% | 10.4 g | 21% |
| Fat | 0.93 g | — | 1.67 g | — |
| Carbohydrate | 30.9 g | — | 55.5 g | — |
| Fibre | 1.8 g | 6% | 3.24 g | 10% |
| Sugar(limit) | 0.56 g | 1% | 1.01 g | 1% |
| Saturated fat(limit) | 0.18 g | 1% | 0.32 g | 1% |
| Sodium(limit) | 1 mg | 0% | 1.8 mg | 0% |
| Selenium | 26.4 µg | 48% | 47.5 µg | 86% |
| Manganese | 0.32 mg | 16% | 0.58 mg | 28% |
| Copper | 0.1 mg | 11% | 0.18 mg | 20% |
| Phosphorus | 58 mg | 8% | 104 mg | 15% |
| Magnesium | 18 mg | 5% | 32.4 mg | 9% |
| Zinc | 0.51 mg | 5% | 0.92 mg | 10% |
Typical portion: 1 serving, 180 g, about 284 kcal. % daily value is for a reference adult (average of men and women); "limit" marks a daily limit, not a target. "High" starts at 20% per 100 g.
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Calories from a photoThese are general estimates generated from published formulas, not a medical prescription. Not reviewed by a doctor or registered dietitian.
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Every number on this page (calorie targets, macro splits and any suggested meal plan) is produced by formulas (Mifflin-St Jeor for basal metabolic rate, standard activity multipliers) or, for AI-generated meal plans, by a language model applying those same formulas. On meal-plan pages the carbohydrate figure for each meal is calculated by difference: total calories minus protein and fat calories, divided by 4. It is not measured or estimated on its own, so read it as an arithmetic balance and not as an independent nutritional analysis of the dish. None of it is individualized medical or nutritional advice, and none of it has been reviewed by a registered dietitian, physician or other licensed healthcare professional.
Ask your doctor or a registered dietitian what is right for you before starting a new diet, especially if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, have a diagnosed medical condition, take prescription medication, or have a history of disordered eating. If you have kidney disease or another medical condition, ask your clinician before raising protein.
Mealyno never recommends a calorie target below your calculated Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), the minimum energy your body needs at complete rest. Even the most aggressive weight-loss setting is clamped at that floor.
Calorie and BMR estimates use the Mifflin-St Jeor equation (Mifflin MD, St Jeor ST, et al. Am J Clin Nutr. 1990).
Generated: October 2026
Also searched as: cooked pasta, boiled spaghetti, cooked macaroni.
About this food: Cooked pasta
The USDA entry is enriched dry pasta boiled without added salt, so 158 kcal, 5.8 g of protein and 30.9 g of carbohydrate per 100 g cooked. The packet figure, usually given per 100 g dry, is about twice as large, because pasta roughly doubles its weight in boiling water. Mixing the two is the commonest error with spaghetti, penne and vermicelli.
Decide by habit: weigh dry pasta before it goes in, or weigh the cooked portion on the plate, but never combine them. A serving of 180 g cooked gives 284 kcal and 10.4 g of protein. Cooking time and how well you drain change cooked weight, which is why many people prefer the dry weight.
The pasta is rarely the problem. Navy-style pasta with minced meat and fried onion, butter melted over hot macaroni or a ladle of cheese sauce can double the calories of the plate. Log the sauce and the oil separately, and count grated hard cheese as its own line.
Use plenty of water, salt it and cook to the packet time, usually about 8 to 11 minutes, tasting a minute early for al dente. Look for durum wheat on the label. Do not rinse pasta served hot, though rinsing for a cold salad is fine. Leftovers keep a couple of days in the fridge.
What it is high and low in
Cooked pasta is high in selenium (48%) per 100 g (share of the daily reference in brackets). It is a good source of manganese (16%), protein (12%) and copper (11%).
It is low in fat (up to 3 g per 100 g). The rule is the same for every food: "high" means at least 20% of the daily reference in 100 g, "good source" means 10-19%. For protein it takes at least 8 g per 100 g and a fifth of the calories from protein.
How it compares with similar foods
We compared cooked pasta with the five foods in our table that are closest in composition (Cooked millet, Cooked brown rice, Cooked white rice, Cooked pearl barley and Cooked quinoa), per 100 g.
Rank among the six: Protein (1 = most): 1st of 6; Calories (1 = fewest): 6th of 6; Fibre (1 = most): 3rd of 6; Carbohydrate (1 = fewest): 6th of 6. The order is computed from the USDA values, so it moves if the table changes.
| Food | kcal | protein | fat | carbs | fibre |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cooked pasta | 158 | 5.8 | 0.9 | 30.9 | 1.8 |
| Cooked millet | 119 | 3.5 | 1 | 23.7 | 1.3 |
| Cooked brown rice | 123 | 2.7 | 1 | 25.6 | 1.6 |
| Cooked white rice | 130 | 2.7 | 0.3 | 28.2 | 0.4 |
| Cooked pearl barley | 123 | 2.3 | 0.4 | 28.2 | 3.8 |
| Cooked quinoa | 120 | 4.4 | 1.9 | 21.3 | 2.8 |
All values per 100 g.
Raw, cooked or dry: different numbers
The same food in another state has different numbers, mostly because of water or frying oil. Cooked pasta: 158 kcal and 5.8 g protein per 100 g; Dry pasta: 371 kcal and 13 g protein per 100 g. Weigh and log the food in the same state as the figure you pick.
Where the numbers come from
The values on this page come from USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy (entry 168928: "Pasta, cooked, unenriched, without added salt"). It is the US government's reference database and its data is public domain (CC0). We retrieved it on October 4, 2026 and show it per 100 g of the food in the stated state (cooked). When USDA reports no value for a vitamin or mineral we write "no data", never zero.
The daily value column compares each amount with a reference adult: the average of the adult male and female values in the US and Canada Dietary Reference Intakes (age 19-30), a 2,000 kcal day and 50 g of protein. Sodium (2300 mg), sugar (90 g of total sugars, the EU reference intake) and saturated fat (22 g, under 10% of calories) are limits, not targets. These are general guides for healthy adults, not medical advice.
The portion weight is a typical size, not a USDA value, so weigh your own portion.
Calorie and nutrient questions
How many calories are in 100 g of cooked pasta?
158 kcal per 100 g, with 5.8 g protein, 0.9 g fat and 30.9 g carbohydrate. A typical portion (1 serving, 180 g) has about 284 kcal.
How much protein is in cooked pasta?
100 g has 5.8 g of protein, which is 12% of a 50 g daily reference, and a typical portion (180 g) has 10.4 g. Protein supplies 15% of its calories.
Which vitamins and minerals does cooked pasta contain?
The most per 100 g, as a share of the daily reference: selenium 26.4 µg (48%); manganese 0.32 mg (16%); copper 0.1 mg (11%). Every other tracked vitamin or mineral is under 10% or has no USDA value.