Cooking quality of commercial spaghetti: effect of the water-to-dried pasta ratio

Proximate, pasting, microstructural and sensory properties of gluten-free pasta from high-quality provitamin A cassava and Bambara nut flour composites

BACKGROUND

The rising demand for gluten-free pasta alternatives, as a result of celiac and non-celiac gluten sensitivities and reliance on imported wheat in sub-Saharan Africa, necessitates locally sourced options. The present study develops gluten-free pasta from flour blends of high-quality provitamin A cassava (PVA) flour and Bambara nut flour (BF). The objective was to assess the proximate, physical, cooking and sensory properties of pasta produced from PVA-BF blends. Five pasta samples were prepared from PVA and BF blends in ratios of 100:0 (B0), 90:10 (B10), 80:20 (B20), 70:30 (B30) and 60:40% (B40), respectively. The resulting pasta samples were evaluated for proximate composition, cooking qualities (yield, time and loss), colour (L*, a* and b* attributes), pasting, microstructural [using scanning electron microscope] and sensory properties. Data were analysed using analysis of variance.

RESULTS

Pasta showed significant increases in g kg-1 serving for protein (18.3-61.7 g kg-1), fat (3.4-11.3 g kg-1), fibre (1.6-5.5 g kg-1) and ash (10.3-13 g kg-1) contents with increasing BF inclusion, with the highest values observed in pasta B40. Cooking yield (173.33-233%) and time (8.05-11.39 min) increased with increasing BF inclusion levels, whereas cooking loss (6.67-20%) was moderate in pasta B40 (10%). Decreased lightness (L* = 23.74-26.86), increased redness (a* = 23.74-26.86) and increased yellowness (b* = 0.66-1.86) were observed with increasing BF inclusion. Pasta B0 showed peak, trough, final, breakdown and setback viscosities of 3257, 2271, 3501, 1231 and 887 RVU, respectively, which decreased significantly with BF inclusion. PVA-BF pasta showed pasting time and temperature of 5-7 min and 70-78 °C, respectively. Microstructure showed increased surface roughness with higher BF levels. Sensory evaluation revealed that pasta B40 had the highest overall acceptability after wheat pasta.

CONCLUSION

Pasta from PVA and BF blends showed varied qualities but pasta from the 60:40% (PVA:BF) blends showed the most significant qualities with acceptable sensory attributes, offering a promising gluten-free alternative for gluten-intolerant consumers and could possibly reduce the reliance on wheat imports for pasta production, addressing both health and economic challenges. © 2025 Society of Chemical Industry.

Antinutrient removal in yellow lentils by malting

BACKGROUND

To improve the current low per capita consumption of lentils, the present study first aimed to minimize the anti-nutrient content of two yellow Moroccan and Italian lentil seeds by resorting to the malting process and then testing the resulting decorticated flours as ingredients in the formulation of gluten-free fresh egg pastas.

RESULTS

The most proper operating conditions for the three malting process steps were identified in a bench-top plant. The first (water steeping) and second (germination) steps were studied at 18, 25 or 32 °C. After 2 or 3 h of steeping at 25 °C and almost 24 h of germination, 95-98.8% of the lentil seeds sprouted. By prolonging the germination process to 72 h, the raffinose or phytic acid content was reduced by about 80% or 95% or 27% or 37%, respectively. The third step (kilning) was carried out under fluent dry air at 50 °C for 24 h and at 75 °C for 3 h. The cotyledons of the resulting yellow lentil malts were cyclonically recovered, milled and chemico-physically characterized.

CONCLUSION

Both flours were used to prepare fresh egg-pastas essentially devoid of oligosaccharides, and low in phytate (4.6-6.0 mg g-1 ) and in vitro glycemic index (38-41%). However, the cooking quality of the fresh egg pasta made of malted Moroccan lentil flour was higher with respect to its crude protein content and lower with respect to its water solubility index. © 2023 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Characterization of Fresh Pasta Made of Common and High-Amylose Wheat Flour Mixtures

This study aims to assess the main biochemical, technological, and nutritional properties of a few samples of fresh pasta composed of commercial common wheat flour blended with increasing percentages, ranging from 0 to 100%, of high-amylose wheat flour. Although the technological parameters of such samples remained practically constant, fresh pasta samples including 50 to 100% of high-amylose wheat flour were classifiable as foods with a low in vitro glycemic index of about 43%. However, only fresh pasta made of 100% high-amylose wheat flour exhibited a resistant starch-to-total starch ratio greater than 14% and was therefore eligible to claim a physiological effect of improved glucose metabolism after a meal, as according to EU Regulation 432/2012.

Buckwheat Hull-Enriched Pasta: Physicochemical and Sensory Properties

This work aimed to evaluate the effect of partial replacement of semolina with 0, 1, 5, 10, 15, and 20% of ground buckwheat hull (BH) on the chemical composition, antioxidant properties, color, cooking characteristics, and sensory properties of wheat pasta. Pasta samples were prepared by dough lamination (tagliatelle shape) and dried at 55 °C until the moisture content was 11–12% (wet basis). Analyses of samples showed that the addition of BH caused an increase in fiber content in pasta from 4.31% (control pasta) to 14.15% (pasta with 20% of BH). Moreover, the brightness and yellowness of BH-enriched products were significantly decreased compared to the control sample, and the total color difference ranged from 23.84 (pasta with 1% of BH) to 32.56 (pasta with 15% BH). In addition, a decrease in optimal cooking time, as well as an increased weight index and cooking loss, was observed in BH-enriched pasta samples. Furthermore, BH-enriched cooked pasta had significantly higher total phenolic content and antioxidant activity but an unpleasant smell and taste, especially if the level of BH was higher than 10%.

Effect of cooking temperature on cooked pasta quality and sustainability

BACKGROUND

Everyday pasta cooking has a large environmental impact. The aims of this work were to assess the effect of cooking temperatures (T_C ) that were lower than the water boiling point (T_BW ) on the main chemico-physical quality parameters of two pasta shapes (i.e., ziti and spaghetti) cooked at the conventional and minimum water-to-pasta ratios, as well as their optimum cooking time (OCT), cooking energy consumption, and carbon footprint, by using a novel eco-sustainable pasta cooker.

RESULTS

Once the effect of T_C on OCT had been modeled in accordance with the Bigelow model, it was possible to estimate that the energy saved to heat the cooking water from ambient temperature to a lower temperature than T_BW was smaller than the extra energy needed to complete the pasta cooking phase. After several cooking trials, the water uptake, cooking loss, textural properties, and thickness of the central nerve (as observed with a scanning electronic microscope) of cooked pasta were found to be independent of T_C in the range of 85-98 °C.

CONCLUSIONS

By using smaller amounts of water (~3 L kg^-1 ) and cooking at 85 °C with the eco-sustainable pasta cooker, the energy consumption reduced from the default value of 2.8 kWh kg^-1 to ~0.45 kWh kg^-1 and GHG emissions to about one sixth of those resulting from the use of the average European home appliances. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.