Gluten-free precooked rice pasta enriched with legumes flours: Physical properties, texture, sensory attributes and microstructure

- The addition of legumes flours improved the nutritional value of gluten-free pasta.
- Both the amount and the type of legumes affected the quality and texture of pasta.
- The type of legumes influenced only the surface microstructure of pasta.
- Enrichment of pasta with yellow pea and lentil gave the most valuable products.

The use of rice/leguminous blend may be nutritionally convenient in gluten-free product manufacturing. This study evaluated selected properties of precooked rice pasta enriched with different levels (10 g/100 g, 20 g/100 g and 30 g/100 g) of legumes flours (yellow pea, chickpea and lentil). Gluten-free spaghetti-type pasta was made using a modified single-screw extrusion-cooker, TS-45 (Polish design). Chemical composition, physical properties (expansion ratio, minimal preparation time, water absorption capacity, cooking loss, water absorption index, water solubility index, and color), texture properties (hardness, firmness and adhesiveness), and sensory attributes were evaluated. Microstructure of pasta products was examined with scanning electron microscope. Results showed that the addition of legumes flours decreased the expansion ration, the hardness, and the lightness, and increased the yellowness, the firmness and the adhesiveness, without affecting the minimal preparation time. Obtained results showed also that gluten-free pasta products had low cooking loss (<6%) and acceptable scores for all sensory attributes and the overall quality. Concerning microstructure, all pasta products presented a compact internal structure. The precooked pasta products enriched with legumes flours up to 30 g/100 g had very good quality and these blends can successfully be used in nutritionally valuable gluten-free pasta formulation.