Partial Substitution of Wheat Flour with Palm Flour in Pasta Preparation

Abstract

Pasta, a globally cherished staple food, is consumed on a wide scale. However, conventional wheat-based pasta often lacks nutrients that can be incorporated to add value to the new product. To address this nutritional deficiency and enhance the health benefits for consumers, a promising approach is to incorporate Opuntia ficus-indica flour as a partial substitute for wheat flour. The primary objective of this study was to craft enriched tagliatelle pasta using Opuntia ficus-indica flour. The evaluation encompassed an assessment of physical-chemical attributes, color quality, cooking properties, texture profile analysis (TPA), and the analysis of bioactive compounds within the pasta products. Upon conclusion of the experiments, the F10 formulation, comprising 10% Opuntia ficus-indica flour, emerged as the most favorable pasta option. It exhibited an acceptable acidity level of 3.71% and demonstrated remarkable nutritional characteristics. These findings suggest that this formulation could serve as a promising alternative for the production of health-conscious pasta.