A study on the quality of einkorn (Triticum monococcum L. ssp monococcum) pasta

The continuous increase of pasta consumption is favoured by the availability of new products, manufactured from non-traditional cereals. Einkorn is a diploid relative of durum and bread wheats, appreciated for its high protein, carotenoid and tocol contents, and for its excellent organoleptic characteristics. Aim of this research was to assess its suitability for pasta production and the quality of its products. The dry einkorn pasta differed from durum wheat pasta for most of the traits, including dimensions, carotenoids content, colour and image analysis parameters. During cooking the pasta from einkorn flours was significantly less firm but had lower cooking losses, probably for a better structure of the gluten matrix. Compression-extrusion tests evidenced, at equal cooking times, significant differences between pasta samples. Among einkorns, ID331 and SAL98-32 showed firmness values similar to durum wheat pasta. Pasta manufacturing led to a significant decrease in lutein and a limited increase in heat damage, but cooking did not induce any further changes. Overall, einkorn pasta had similar technological characteristics but better nutritional value than the control durum wheat pasta.