Review: The 5 Best Spaghetti Brands in Kenya

In this list are some of the best spaghetti and generally pasta brands you can find readily available in Kenya, there might be better in different parts of the world, but these are the best that are readily available for our location.

Spaghetti is the most popular type of pasta in Kenya. What is pasta even? It is a dish made from dough consisting of wheat flour, eggs, and water; the dough is then shaped into various forms then boiled dried, and packed ready for home cooking

Pasta is one of the things you shouldn’t be cheap on when grocery shopping, there is no such thing as overpriced pasta, the artisan skills really push imagination and limits.

If you want exceptional pasta dishes, skills aside, you need a high-quality pasta brand to complement your finished product

All the top 5 listings are Italian brands from Italy (obviously… for religious reasons)

Table of Contents

5. Riscossa

Price: KSh 380 for 500g packet

Shapes: Spaghetti, Tagliatelle, Lasagna Riccia, Tagliolini, Mezzi Gomiti, Farfalloni, and more

Riscossa is another well-known Italian pasta brand that has been producing pasta since 1902. The company is based in Bari, Italy, and is renowned for its high-quality pasta made from durum wheat semolina.

I love Riscossa as it just makes a next-level mac & cheese for its price, thanks to its elbow macaroni.

It is sometimes (if not mostly) turns out better than more expensive brands. They also have whole grain and gluten-free pasta if you might be shopping for that as well

If you are a budget shopper and want the best cheapest pasta, especially macaroni, the answer is Riscossa

Available at Carrefour

Available at Naivas

4. Le Veneziane

Price: KSh 520 for spaghetti

: KSh 620 for fettucce and other macaroni

Shapes: Penne, Fusilli, Spaghetti, Tagliatelle, Farfalle, Lasagne and more

This is a special brand specializing in producing gluten-free pasta by using corn instead of wheat; so they make corn pasta.

This is a holy grail to gluten-intolerant consumers since not only does it let them enjoy spaghetti, but Le Veneziane holds up really great and doesn’t crumble like other non-wheat pasta.

I thought I wouldn’t like corn pasta but boy was I so wrong, it is so good in texture and taste surprisingly!

Available at Zucchini Green Grocers

Available at Artcaffē Market

Available at Greenspoon

3. Rummo

Price: KSh 530 for (500g) spaghetti

: KSh 530 to 620 for most macaroni (400g)

: KSh 800 for fettuccine (250g)

Shapes: Spaghetti, Penne, Fusili, Rigatoni, Bucatini and more

The packaging is super elegant and aesthetic, and it just gives it off as a premium product without checking the price tag. It is a top favorite among pasta enthusiasts

Rummo is an Italian brand since 1846 from Benevento, Italy. It is known for its slow crafting using bronze dies to shape different pasta, then slow dried to ensure the pasta retains its natural texture to absorb sauces better. This makes it finish with that al dente texture (cooked but still firm and chewy)

Available at Greenspoon ( best variety and low prices )

Available at Artcaffē Market

Available at Zucchini Green Grocers

2. Barilla

Price: KSh 500 for angel hair spaghetti (500g)

: KSh 900 for fettuccine and lasagne (lasagna sheets)

: KSh 600 for most macaroni shapes

Types: Spaghetti, Penne, Fusili, Farfalle, Rigatoni, Linguine, Fettuccine and Lasagne

Barilla is relatively easy to find everywhere, it is an Italian name and brand since 1877, founded in Parma, Italy

Barilla’s pasta is made from high-quality durum wheat semolina, and the brand offers a variety of shapes and sizes to suit different dishes and preferences.

They also have a range of whole wheat and gluten-free and wholegrain pasta options for those with specific dietary requirements.

Available at Carrefour

Available at Greenspoon

Available at Naivas

Available at Zucchini Green Grocers

1. De Cecco

Price: KSh 550 spaghetti (500g)

KSh 595 Cous Cous Pasta (500g)

Types: Durum Wheat, Egg Pasta, Gluten Free, 7 Grain, Organic Pasta, Wholegrain Pasta

Now this is top-tier pasta that will elevate your pasta-based dishes. It is a personal favorite and a favorite of pasta connoisseurs (not that I’m one)

De Cecco just like any premium pasta is rough in texture, it crumbles when bent and is not elastic- (this shows how good it is dried to the core), even after cooking to completion.

The pasta doesn’t get soft and floppy, it remains firm and al dente; is chewy in a good way. If that is your kind of thing, you will love this. This is my kind of thing

Generally, value is 10/10, especially in comparison to other brands around the same price category, De Cecco is just unbeatable.

The kickback is, you can’t find this just about anywhere especially at your local mini supermarket. It is at select big outlets supermarkets and grocery stores.

De Cecco pasta in Kenya is available at

Carrefour Supermarkets (for the lowest prices)

Zucchini Green Grocers

Artcaffē Market

Also, the price is a bit steep, if you have a big family, at the end of the month you will be having a spaghetti bill.

Common Spaghetti Brands in Kenya

These are not the best in terms of pasta quality but are popular for affordability reasons and offer an average spaghetti experience.

I wouldn’t advise you to buy these if you are a foodie or a pasta bro

Affordability doesn’t necessarily mean poor quality, here are some pasta brands that are okay for the price, they don’t compare even to the slightest to the top discussed brands but they are good enough if you don’t care for the best or on a budget.

Santa Lucia
Santa Maria
Daawat ( blue or red label) skip the green one
Ranee (red label)
Butterfly

Cheap vs Expensive Pasta

Although both inexpensive and premium pasta share the same basic ingredients, the difference in taste is striking; just day and night, the price gap is so noticeable as well. Cheap pasta has an after test while premium ones are smooth

The reason behind this lies in the quality of semolina (milled durum wheat) and the distinct methods of drying.

Premium pasta brands use high-quality semolina obviously, some even grow the wheat by themselves for maximum crop control…they also use advanced processing methods and dry their pasta slowly and they mostly produce on a small scale to maintain the quality consistency

Cheap pasta on the other end is the complete opposite, cheaper low-quality wheat durum is used, production is on a large scale and pasta is dried rapidly giving it the yellow-brown hues and color.

The other distinct factor between premium and cheap pasta is the cutting method. Premium pasta utilizes brass dies to shape and cut the pasta while cheap pasta uses stainless steel dies to do the same

Brass dies give a coarser texture as opposed to the smooth one from steel dies. Coarse pasta sticks to sauces easily compared to smooth pasta that just slides away from sauces or anything you add to your pasta

How do you pick good spaghetti?

Color: Premium pasta has a pale yellow color while budget spaghetti has this intense yellow-brown color, this is all due to the drying. The slow-dried dried pasta will have a pale color and thus have a better taste and texture

The other thing will be the type of wheat used preferably semolina durum with 100% durum wheat

Texture: The coarser the spaghetti the better the quality

Origin: Pasta from Italy tends to be generally high-quality

Price: This isn’t a guarantee of quality but cheap pasta tends to be low quality, but not all expensive ones tend to be high quality. It’s a one-sided relationship.

Cheers, See you at the next one!