Demand for products enriched or nutritionally enhanced with protein has driven the development of new pasta formulations. However, the role of gluten-free flours and the necessary technological process differ significantly between traditional enriched pasta and fully gluten-free pasta.
In recent years, there has been a growing demand for products ‘enriched’ or ‘fortified’ with protein. Pasta has also been part of this trend, with numerous new products launched that incorporate high-protein flours, mainly derived from pulses.
In traditional pasta, the gluten proteins form a continuous network during kneading, which provides cohesion and elasticity. Although in the production of protein-enriched pasta, wheat flour is combined with a certain percentage of pulses flour, it is still pasta made using the traditional method, whose structure is based on the gluten network.
On the other hand, there is pasta made entirely from gluten-free flours and is therefore suitable for people with coeliac disease. In this case, different machinery must be used, as the required structure is achieved through the gelatinisation of starch.
Production of traditional pasta enriched with protein
Under European regulations, durum wheat semolina (Triticum durum) is used to make traditional pasta. A cold extrusion process is used to manufacture this type of product, which keeps the gluten below its denaturation temperature.
However, the inclusion of certain raw materials that improve the quality and nutritional value of the final product is permitted.
- Ancient grain flours. Quinoa, amaranth and buckwheat are raw materials of great nutritional value due to their fibre, protein, essential amino acids, minerals and vitamins.
- Pulses flours. Beans, lentils, peas or chickpeas, which provide protein and fibre and have a low glycaemic index – a characteristic of interest in formulations designed to reduce the carbohydrate content of pasta.
The percentage of speciality flours added to the dough must be kept at relatively low levels in order to preserve the functionality of the gluten and prevent the structure required to form the pasta from becoming excessively weak.
Making gluten-free pasta
People with coeliac disease cannot eat pasta made from wheat, so they need to turn to other cereals. Rice and maize are commonly used in the production of gluten-free pasta because, as well as being gluten-free, they have a high starch content that can be gelatinised relatively easily.
As there is no gluten, the structure of the pasta is based on a network of gelatinised starch. For this reason, it is not possible to use a cold extrusion process, and an extruder fitted with a heating system is required.
The process of making gluten-free pasta is therefore more complex than that of wheat-based pasta. It is influenced not only by the degree of starch gelatinisation, but also by the amylose/amylopectin ratio and, consequently, by the phenomenon of retrogradation.
Gluten-free pasta can also be enriched with other ingredients. However, the amount added must be less than in gluten-containing pasta, as the network of gelatinised starch is weaker.
TECHNOLOGICAL KEY POINT
In traditional pasta, the structure depends on the gluten network and is formed through cold extrusion. In gluten-free pasta, the structure comes from gelatinised starch and requires heating and more precise control of the formulation and the process.
