Spaghetti and other pasta varieties are staples of the American diet, and they’re typically one of the less-expensive items in your grocery cart.

If you’re like me, you stock up on two-pound boxes of pasta at Aldi that sell for about a buck apiece. But what do people who cook for a living have to say on the subject?

3 brands of boxed pasta worth buying

Michael Easton, chef and owner of Il Corvo Pasta in Seattle, would recommend that I shop for pasta elsewhere.

He told the INSIDER that when you buy top quality pasta noodles like the three brands on the list below, it's easier to cook them al dente.

“They’ll typically take a little bit longer to cook because they have a higher protein content, and just a better strength and gluten development in the pasta… You can overcook them a couple minutes, and they still have beautiful texture and are absolutely al dente,” Easton said.

Here are the three brands of pasta that he recommends:

1. De Cecco

#ricetta sfiziosa per il #pranzo:#Linguine #DeCecco vongole e bottarga, dello #Chef Chicco Cerea.
Buon appetito! https://t.co/31X6GHNVtE pic.twitter.com/hLqRchW6II
— Pasta De Cecco (@DeCecco_pasta) April 3, 2017

Price: $2.00 for one pound of spaghetti at Target

2. Rummo

I campioni si schierano! #SerieA pic.twitter.com/8eEotqV7X2
— PastaRummo (@PastaRummo) August 21, 2016

Price: $4.50 for one pound of spaghetti on Amazon

3. Rustichella D’Abruzzo

There's no substitute! Now available: Rustichella D'Abruzzo "Pasta di Semola di Grano Duro". #pasta #madeinItaly #shoprivermarket pic.twitter.com/BVVOEynF41
— Canteen & Supply (@Canteen_Supply) November 16, 2016

Price: $1.98 for 1.1 pounds of spaghetti on Walmart.com

I haven't tried any of these brands yet, but when I was chatting with a friend about them earlier, we both recognized De Cecco's packaging from either T.J. Maxx or Marshalls.

Those stores have a pretty impressive assortment of gourmet food items typically priced 20-60% below specialty stores.

If these brands are too expensive for your blood, Reddit users have suggested trying Garofalo, Barilla or Trader Joe's brand pasta. Let us know your favorite on Facebook and Twitter!