Improvement of the texture and quality of cooked gluten-free pasta

• Egg protein and water content affected the quality and texture of gluten-free pasta.
• Rheological properties were mainly controlled by dough moisture.
• Composition was optimized using desirability criteria based on texture and quality.
• Optimized pasta was prepared and the predicted behavior was experimentally validated.

The effects of egg-proteins and water content on viscoelastic and quality properties of cooked gluten-free pasta were analyzed. Cooking properties included the determination of optimum cooking time (OCT = 10 min), water absorption, cooking loss, and total organic matter. Cutting force and texture profile parameters were also evaluated. Springiness, resilience, and adhesiveness were mainly controlled by the egg-protein content in the dough, while cooked pasta hardness and the plateau modulus were negatively correlated with dough moisture. The obtained results were mathematically modeled, and a multiresponse optimization process was performed using individual desirability functions based on target properties of wheat flour pasta. These functions were combined into a single composite response (global desirability) to determine the precise amount of the different components in the formulation to obtain high quality gluten-free cooked pasta. Optimized dough was prepared, cooked, and the predicted properties were experimentally validated.