Rheological Approaches Suitable for Investigating Starch and Protein Properties Related to Cooking Quality of Durum Wheat Pasta

Starch and protein properties of semolina and pasta samples were investigated using MVAG and GPT, which are generally used for starch and common wheat flour characterization. From two semolina, which have different starch and protein content and pasta-making qualities, four spaghetti samples were produced and dried using low- or high-temperature drying. Starch and protein arrangements in dried pasta were related to pasta cooking behavior. The tests discriminated semolinas according to their technological quality. Good quality semolina (A) exhibited a high pasting temperature, low hot viscosity, and high and earlier protein aggregation properties. In regard to pasta, when dried at a low temperature, spaghetti from sample A showed lower cooking loss than pasta from poor quality semolina (B), which is probably related to the low starch swelling and a strong network. The use of HT cycle lowered the differences in cooking quality and starch and protein properties related to the raw-materials features. Practical Applications The development of a rapid method for evaluating semolina quality and how it relates to starch, protein properties and pasta cooking quality is of great interest for the pasta-making industry. This research highlights that MVAG and GPT tests are able to discriminate semolina according to their technological quality in a short time and using a low amount of sample. In addition, the tests gave useful information for understanding the effect of both raw-materials characteristics and drying conditions on starch and protein macromolecules in determining the final cooking quality.