Fortification of pasta with split pea and faba bean flours: Pasta processing and quality evaluation

Nutritionally enhanced spaghetti was produced by adding high amounts (35% db) of legume flour (split pea or faba bean) to durum wheat semolina. The production of fortified pasta required an adaptation of the pasta making process (higher hydration level and mixing speed) to limit agglomeration of particles during mixing. Moreover, addition of legume flour induced a decrease in some pasta quality attributes (e.g. higher cooking loss, lower breaking energy). This could be attributed to the introduction of non-gluten proteins and insoluble fibres which weakened the overall structure of pasta. A modification of the sensorial properties including higher hardness and higher fracturability were also observed. Some quality attributes (e.g. lower cooking loss) of fortified pasta were improved by applying high and very high temperatures during the drying cycle, reflecting strengthening of the protein network. However, these treatments resulted in excessively firm and rubbery pasta according to the panelists.