Enhancing pasta quality through substitution of durum wheat with rice varieties and defatted pigeon pea flours

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of durum wheat separately substituted with flours of Abakaliki and Ofada rice varieties, and the optimum composite subsequent supplemented with defatted pigeon pea, on the quality attributes of pasta. The pasta, produced using standard methods, dried at 70 °C for 8 h, were evaluated for colour, proximate composition, functional, cooking, textural, and sensory attributes. Durum wheat flours separately substituted with flours (0–60%) of Abakaliki and Ofada rice varieties, resulted in acceptable pasta from the durum wheat: rice (80:20) mix. Subsequently, the durum wheat: rice mix (80:20) was supplemented with defatted pigeon pea (0–40%) to produce optimal pasta. Supplementation of durum wheat: rice (80:20) mix with defatted pigeon pea significantly increased protein (25.3–35.31%), dietary fibre (0.98–1.70%), cooking time (8.15–9.15 min), cooking loss (1.00–1.70%) and cooking yield (196.5–236.5%) of the pasta. These values were higher than wheat-rice pasta without pigeon pea flour which had lower protein (9.52–12.09%) and fibre (0.70–1.65%) contents. Pasta produced using the durum wheat: rice blends (80:20) supplemented with different ratios of pigeon pea mix showed good optimum cooking time (9.00 min), cooking yield (225%), colour (CIE L* = 43.91, a* = 2.08, b* = 13.74), hardness (111.80 N) and overall acceptability (5.75–6.70). Substitution of durum wheat with Abakaliki and Ofada rice varieties (20%), and blending of the composite (80:20) with pigeon pea (20%) for pasta manufacture showed improved pasta quality, which could lead to reduced pressure on durum wheat consumption and development of new products for local palate.