Brown Rice Penne - 16 oz

Cadia Everyday exists so the neighborhood grocer down the street can stock the same clean-ingredient staples as the big chains — starting with a pantry basic nearly every household reaches for: gluten-free pasta.

This Brown Rice Penne is milled from whole grain brown rice and rice bran into a gluten-free flour, then shaped into a classic penne cut with enough surface and ridge to catch sauce. Each box holds 16 oz., packed in cases of 12, and every grain going into it is certified organic and Non-GMO Project Verified.

Brown rice brings a subtle, nutty sweetness that plays well against a simple tomato sauce or a rich, cheese-forward bake — the added body from the rice bran helps the noodle hold its structure through a full simmer instead of breaking down into mush, so it works just as well in a weeknight red sauce as it does in a baked penne casserole.

Certified gluten-free and kosher, it's built for tables juggling more than one dietary need without reaching for a second pot. As a grain-based pasta, it's not suited for keto, paleo, or grain-free eating plans, but it fits comfortably into gluten-free, vegan, and vegetarian meal plans. Store in a cool, dry pantry and use within the printed best-by date for the best texture.

Ingredients: Whole Grain Brown Rice, Rice Bran, and Water.

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Common Questions

How does this compare nutritionally to a conventional wheat penne?
A 2 oz. dry serving of this brown rice penne runs about 200 calories, 43g carbs, 2g fiber, and 4g protein, compared to a typical conventional wheat penne at roughly 200 calories, 41g carbs, 2g fiber, and 7g protein. The wheat version usually wins on protein because gluten proteins add bulk, while this rice-based noodle is lower in protein but carries no gluten. Where it differs most is in the starch structure: brown rice flour has a higher proportion of amylose in some blends, which can translate to a slightly firmer bite and a lower glycemic response than a fully refined white wheat pasta, though whole wheat pasta and this product land in a similar range. If you're tracking macros closely, plan on supplementing protein elsewhere in the meal since this noodle isn't going to carry that load the way a wheat-and-egg pasta might.

What does the rice bran actually do in this pasta?
Rice bran is the outer layer milled off brown rice, and it's rich in insoluble fiber, gamma-oryzanol, and B vitamins that get stripped away entirely in white rice or white flour processing. In this penne, it's included specifically for structure — the fiber and residual oils in bran help the starch matrix bind more tightly, which is why the noodle holds its shape through a full simmer in sauce or a 30-minute bake instead of turning gummy. Nutritionally, bran inclusion also means this pasta retains more of the whole grain's natural fiber and micronutrient content than a stripped-down white rice noodle would. It's a functional ingredient here, not filler — it's doing the job that gluten's elastic network does in wheat pasta.

Does this fit a keto, paleo, or carnivore diet?
No, and it shouldn't be marketed as if it does — at 43g of carbohydrate per 2 oz. dry serving, this pasta is well outside keto macros, which typically cap total daily carbs at 20-50g. It's also grain-based, so it falls outside strict carnivore and most paleo frameworks, which exclude grains regardless of gluten status. Where it does fit is any diet built around gluten avoidance without carb restriction — celiac disease management, non-celiac gluten sensitivity, or households mixing gluten-free and standard eaters at one table. If you're on a low-carb protocol, this isn't the swap; it's built for people who need gluten out but want carbs and pasta texture to stay in.

Can I use this in a baked ziti or cold pasta salad without changing the recipe?
Yes, with two adjustments. First, cook it 1-2 minutes short of package doneness if it's going into a baked dish like ziti or a casserole, since rice pasta continues to soften in the oven and can overcook if boiled to full tenderness first. Second, rinse it briefly under cool water after draining if you're making a cold pasta salad — rice starches gelatinize differently than wheat and can cause noodles to clump as they cool, and a quick rinse plus a light toss in oil prevents that. Outside of those two tweaks, it swaps in directly for penne in any red sauce, cream sauce, or baked application.

What do the organic and Non-GMO Project Verified labels on this actually guarantee?
USDA Organic certification means the brown rice and rice bran were grown without synthetic pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, or GMO seed stock, and the claim is backed by annual third-party inspection of the farms and processing facility — you can look up the certifying agent's records if you want to verify a specific lot. Non-GMO Project Verified is a separate, more rigorous standard on top of that: it requires ingredient-level testing for genetic modification rather than just relying on organic status, which technically already excludes GMOs but doesn't test for cross-contamination. Together, the two labels mean this product has been checked twice, by two different systems, for the same underlying claim. The gluten-free certification is a third, independent claim covering cross-contact testing during milling and packaging, which matters if you're managing celiac disease rather than just preference.