There are many useful keto pasta alternatives to keep in your kitchen that are both low-carb and gluten-free. Use our guide to discover new ketogenic noodle options, plus recipes and step-by-step directions that show exactly how to use them. Add these meal ideas to your collection of easy keto recipes and you will never miss your favorite pasta dish again!
Keto Pasta Alternatives
Many of us grew up on pasta dinners and it can be tricky to find the right low-carb noodle replacement, until you know where to look.
The good news is that you can enjoy pasta on a keto diet!
Knowing how to choose the right keto alternatives to pasta is going to help you make your keto diet more enjoyable and easier to follow long-term.
When considering a healthy pasta alternative, you want to pick something low in carbohydrate that mimics the size, shape, and function of whichever pasta noodle you wish to replace.
There are keto diet pasta alternatives for spaghetti, fettuccine, rigatoni, macaroni, bucatini, penne, lasagna and more!
We want you to succeed on a low-carb, ketogenic diet so use this guide for keto noodle substitutes and don’t let pasta cravings take you off track.
Keto Friendly Noodles
There are so many keto friendly noodles to choose from!
You might be able to pick up a ready-made option by ordering online or next time you go to the grocery store. There is also keto pasta noodle recipe to try making at home. Finally, my personal favorite is to use low carb vegetables as a healthy noodle replacement!
Once you get a hang of preparing your favorite noodle, make a quick and easy keto dinner meal by pairing your noodles with any of the sauces from The Ketogenic Edge Cookbook.
- Kelp Noodles These noodles are made with kelp (a sea vegetable), versatile, and easy to prepare. They are also low calorie! Each noodle is long and slender, making the shape reminiscent of spaghetti. Kelp has a neutral taste, so these low-carb noodles pair well with any sugar-free pasta sauce.
- Shirataki Noodles Also called “Konjac noodles” are true to the name. This 0 calorie noodle substitute is paleo and keto-approved, and gluten-free. There are a variety of styles to choose from including spaghetti, fettuccine, and angel hair noodles.
- Homemade Noodles Perhaps not as easy as buying a ready-made keto noodle alternative, this option is just as delicious, if not more so. You can make your own keto diet noodle from dough. Recipes usually call for everyday ingredients and are pretty simple. I include some recipes to try below.
- Vegetable Noodles These are what I end up making most of the time. They add a beautiful splash of color to the meal and have more nutrition than the other options, so why not? Zucchini makes my favorite type of noodle; read on to learn exactly how this is done.
Where to Buy Keto Pasta
Stock your pantry with easy to use keto noodles so you have them on hand whenever you are ready for pasta night. Plus, you usually get a better deal when you by in bulk, so grab a case at a time.
- Kelp Noodles are found in the international aisle of a local grocery store and online. I recommend the Sea Tangle brand. Kelp noodles are just kelp (read more about seaweed in traditional diets) and nothing else. A 4-ounce serving has 1 gram of carbohydrate.
- Shirataki Noodles are usually found online but some Whole Food and Walmart stores may have them in stock too. I recommend the Miracle Noodle brand. They only have 2 ingredients listed: water and konjac flour. Konjac is the root of a plant similar to yam. A 3-ounce serving has 1 gram of carbohydrate.
- Zoodles can be purchased from some grocery stores. Look in the fresh produce or frozen food section to find them. If they are not in stock, make a request, and see if you can get them in. A 4-ounce serving has 4 g of carbohydrate.
- Fresh vegetables are available from CSAs, farmer’s markets, and local grocery stores. If you want long broad noodles, pick zucchini or eggplant. If you desire thin, spiralized noodles grab a zucchini. Cauliflower and broccoli florets can also make suitable pasta substitutes.
Check out my friend’s review on The Best Low Carb Pasta you can buy. It’s interesting to hear her opinion and see all the options available. Do be mindful when making your selection, these are all low carb options, but not all are keto.
How to Make Keto Noodles
Are you ready to make a pasta recipe for dinner tonight? You are going to love these options because they open up an entire world of keto pasta alternatives.
Making keto noodles at home isn’t hard or overly time-consuming. Follow these recipes and tips to start making homemade pasta noodles from scratch.
Homemade Keto Noodles
Perhaps not as easy as buying a ready-made keto noodle alternative, this option is just as delicious, if not more so.
There are a handful of different keto pasta noodles you can make with simple ingredients in your own kitchen.
- Almost Flour Pasta – Follow this easy from-scratch keto pasta recipe and you can customize the noodle to look exactly like a traditional pasta noodle.
- 2-Ingredient Keto Pasta – This is a legit 2-ingredient recipe! I can’t wait to try it.
- Low-Carb Egg Noodles – This egg yolk and cheese pasta dough recipe wins for being the most flavorful!
- Egg Noodles with Almond Flour – Make this homemade pasta from-scratch by hand or with a pasta machine. There are some great cooking tips here that you should read.
- Keto Fiber Noodles – Zuzana did a lot of experimenting to create this keto-friendly noodle recipe! It was an epic 7-day trial, which she details in this post before sharing the final recipe.
Vegetable Noodles
Did you know you can use specific kitchen tools to prepare your own keto-friendly noodles in just a few minutes?
Employ a spiralizer, julienne, or vegetable peeler as a tool to transform low-carb vegetables into healthy low-carb pasta noodles.
Many vegetables are suitable.
- Zucchini (zoodles) are a classic choice if you own a spiralizer. You can make long noodles that are suitable as a general pasta alternative in dinner meals and soups. Attach the zucchini to the kitchen tool and twist away until you make all the long curly noodles you need.
- Spaghetti squash is baked in the oven then shredded with a fork to produce thin spaghetti-like vegetable noodles.
- Cabbage can be finely sliced and sautéed, it pairs best with meat-based pasta sauces.
- Eggplant is great for making long broad strips if you want to make lasagna.
- Cauliflower can be used for more than a keto mashed potato substitute! It’s a good pasta alternative for keto too. I find the florets best in macaroni and cheese and also in baked ziti recipes.
Low Carb Pasta Alternatives
Once you find a low-carb pasta noodle to use making keto-friendly pasta recipes it is pretty straightforward.
Celebrate, friends, because you can still enjoy your favorite pasta dishes while making progress to your keto diet goals!
With the right kind of keto noodle, you can eat pasta on a keto diet.
How to Make Keto Pasta Recipes
Now that you have a clear understanding on how to make low carb pasta noodles, re-creating a keto pasta meal is so easy!
Most pasta recipes are a combination of keto-approved ingredients:
- Animal protein: ground beef, chicken breast, pork, sausage, fish, seafood, cheese
- Vegetables: zucchini, spinach, bell pepper, onion, garlic
- Fruit: tomato
- Herbs: basil, oregano, dill,
- Sauce: marinara, Keto Alfredo Sauce, cheese, Keto Bolognese Sauce, pesto, olive oil
So all you really need to do is swap out the noodles!
Make low-carb pasta recipes in easy 4 steps.
- Choose the keto-friendly pasta noodle substitute. Will it be a pre-made store-bought option or homemade recipe?
- Prepare the noodles. Follow the directions listed on the bag or make the noodles from scratch.
- Prepare the sauce. Any sauce will work! Marinara, Alfredo, pesto or whatever you like.
- Serve with optional garnish if you like. Don’t forget the Parmesan on top or a sprinkle of parsley. Then grab your forks and sit down to dine.
30 Keto Pasta Recipes
These 30 Keto Pasta Dinner Recipes use a variety of keto noodles. From personal favorites like Shrimp Scampi with Zoodles to Keto Cauliflower Mac and Cheese and Low-Carb Eggplant Lasagna, you’re sure to find a recipe that inspires you to try something new!
Loaded with butter, chicken, garlic, and other flavorful ingredients, this recipe is going to be an enjoyable pasta night dinner for years to come.
Savory cabbage noodles fry up nicely and are a cheap gluten-free alternative that can be used in a variety of ways.
Keto Chinese Noodle Salad is made with low-carb noodles and a delicious Asian-inspired dressing. This is a great budget-friendly option, plus you will love having an easy, no-cook lunch or dinner meal when the weather is too hot to stay in the kitchen for long.
Perfect as a light summertime lunch, this meal is bursting with fresh flavor from wild-caught shrimp and zucchini noodles. There is little cleanup and the whole recipe is made in just 20 minutes.
Swap in spiralized butternut squash noodles in place of wheat-based spaghetti, then top them with mushrooms in cream sauce and give yourself a pat on the back for learning new ways to eat healthy meals.
Take a low-carb spin on your favorite tuna pasta with this quick and easy low-carb version. Canned tuna has always been affordable, but never so tasty!
Low-carb vegetable stir fry is a savory recipe made with high fiber, zero-carb shirataki noodles that look just like the real thing!
Cauliflower saves the day - again! No carb-heavy ingredients here. Just wholesome cheesy cauliflower baked to perfection.
Eggplant comes to save the lasagna! Introduce low-carb lasagna to your life and have no regrets. This is comfort food made in 20 minutes of prep work and a handful of simple ingredients.
Not ready to commit to baking a mac and cheese casserole? Now you can make a quick and easy version on the stovetop in just 3 steps!
This quick and easy zoodle dish is the perfect way to use up leftover meat you have in the fridge. It would be great with added chicken breast or ground beef!
Can’t get enough keto mac and cheese? Now you have 33 variations to try! I’ll start with smoked mozzarella.
Has comfort food ever looked so good? Same great flavor and delicious layers but stacked up with gluten-free vegetable noodles instead of high-carb wheat ones.
This spaghetti squash pasta will get the whole family on board with healthy eating! Cook the squash and then add your favorite sauce, it’s so easy.
Perfectly tasty, those Keto Ramen Chicken Noodles are filled with flavors all over. Add whatever you want and make it as colorful you wish, it will never be the same as last time. Loved by all, those Keto Ramen Noodles are a must on a regular basis.
Coat chicken breast with almond flour before pan-frying it until golden brown. Serve on a bed of kelp noodles and drizzle the lemon garlic sauce over each serving. Garnish with capers. YUM.
Craving something cheesy? Prepare shirataki noodles as your keto pasta noodle alternative in this Mac and Cheese recipe. Low carb eating is awesome.
Anyone who cooks for a family knows how important it is to find a simple, yet delicious recipe good for a crowd. This keto ziti will not disappoint.
Cauliflower is a great low carb vegetable but we don’t have to put it in everything. This keto mac and cheese recipe uses shirataki noodles as the low carb swap of choice.
Zucchini Noodles with Spicy Cherry Tomato, Sausage, Garlic, and Herb Sauce
This recipe is all about the sauce. The meaty, flavorful combination of sausage, garlic, and herbs will have you swoon!
Make this creamy pesto zucchini dish for lunch this week. It’s a vegan recipe and ready to eat in less than 30 minutes.
Another vegan option for those who like gluten-free pastas, this Indian dish is make with affordable ingredients and great for meal prepping.
On the table in 15-minutes, Kung Pao zoodles are quick, easy, and wonderfully spicy. The original recipe is vegan, but the notes suggest adding chicken or shrimp, which I also recommend! I think the shrimp would be lip-smacking delicious.
This recipe has a great tip on how to make zoodles not watery, I follow the same method every time I work with zucchini noodles. The dish looks like a great choice for summer when fresh basil is at its zenith!
I just love one pan, skillet meals. If I’m ever on a desert island, you better believe my cast iron skillet is coming with me! This Mexican zucchini meal is a perfect weeknight recipe to make for the family.
How beautiful are these bowls?! I love the bright red bruschetta on top of fresh green zucchini noodle. This is the kind of recipe I could easily make every week.
Wow, did you know you can make Alfredo sauce from scratch with just 5 ingredients? This sauce looks so good, I want to try it with all types of keto noodles.
Shrimp pasta is always my favorite. The step-by-step cooking directions included in this recipe post are so helpful! This is a great skillet meal for lunch or dinner.
I can’t wait to teach my daughter how to make this recipe. It’s so easy, even teenagers can make this low-carb dinner! There are only 4 main ingredients and the whole meal is ready in 30 minutes.
This recipe collection was originally published on December 15, 2016 and later updated with new information and images on August 14, 2020.
Are vegetable pastas keto friendly!
They are 🙂 Great for lunch and dinner!
Help. I’m a half a century. I know what I know so replacing the American Diet with the Keto lifestyle.
Overflow and overwhelmed.
How do I retool my fridge and pantry.
I am looking at buying a 1kg bag of your maca to try out. Any idea how long it takes to ship to Canada? specifically Edmonton, Alberta. And do you know if they charge duties on this item?
Sorry, we cannot ship out of the US right now.