Pasta has an important role in human nutrition for its high content of complex carbohydrates and its widespread use. It can be an efficient delivery system or carrier of non-traditional raw material, including additional health-promoting ingredients. The partial replacement of semolina with high-protein raw materials leads to the improvement of the biological value of pasta proteins. In order to obtain pasta with high nutritional protein value and with excellent cooking properties, various recipes have been formulated with different percentages of semolina and unconventional high-protein raw materials (peas and soy isolate proteins, egg white, whey proteins and Spirulina platensis). High-protein pasta was produced using a pasta making pilot plant and the nutritional quality (protein content and quality) and sensorial properties were assessed. All experimental pastas showed optimal performances. Pasta prepared with pea protein isolate, whey proteins and Spirulina platensis showed improved chemical score and digestible indispensable amino acid scores, an eye-catching color, and an excellent cooking quality.

Brewer’s spent grains are one of the principal by-products of the brewing industry. For protein and fibre content, this by-product represents an interesting raw material to be reused for manufacturing many other products. To maximize the nutritional characteristics of this by-product, in this study, ingredients derived from brewer’s spent grains were included in the design of innovative dry pasta. Two brewer’s spent grains derivative ingredients, one enriched in proteins and the other in fibre were blended with semolina. Based on the rheological evaluation, the optimal amount of the two ingredients for producing pasta was determined. In particular, pasta responding to the claims “High Protein” and “High Fibre” was realized using the formulation enriched with 15% of protein-rich ingredient and the claim “High Fibre” and “Source of proteins” using the formulation enriched with 10% of fibre-rich ingredient. The final products were compared to 100% semolina and 100% wholegrain semolina pasta for composition, color, texture, and cooking quality, revealing excellent quality characteristics. The newly formulated pasta represents a successful match of technological aptitude, nutritional/sensorial quality, and sustainability.

The aim of this research was to optimize the production process of fermented gluten-free quinoa bread. To this end, the effect of different hydrocolloids on the technological, fermentative, and nutritional properties of quinoa-based gluten-free doughs and breads was evaluated. For this purpose, 3% of four different hydrocolloids (sodium alginate, k-carrageenan, xanthan gum, and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC)) were used in gluten-free doughs composed of 50% quinoa flour, 20% rice flour, and 30% potato starch. The rheological and fermentative properties of the doughs were evaluated, as well as the chemical composition, specific volume, crust and crumb color, and alveolar structure profile of gluten-free breads. The results highlighted the differences in dough rheology during mixing and fermentation of the doughs. In particular, HPMC showed a good gas retention (93%) during the fermentation of quinoa dough by registering the highest maximum dough development height (Hm). The gluten-free quinoa breads obtained were characterized by significantly different quality parameters (p < 0.05). The use of 3% HPMC resulted in breads with the lowest baking loss, the highest volume, and the most open crumb structure.

Both Glycaemic index (GI) and Glycaemic Load (GL) were introduced to measure the impact of a carbohydrate-containing food on blood glucose. From this perspective, high-amylose (HA) flours, with a higher percentage of resistant starch (RS), may represent a suitable raw material to improve the glycaemic response. The present work aims to investigate the GI of HA bakery products (biscuits, taralli and bread) compared to products obtained from conventional flour. Ten healthy volunteers were enrolled and their capillary blood glucose was measured every 15 min for 2 h after the consumption of HA and control products containing 50 g of available carbohydrates. On average, in the three bakery products, the amount of total starch replaced by RS was equal to 12%. HA biscuits and HA bread showed significantly lower GI than their control counterparts (p = 0.0116 and p = 0.011, respectively) and better glycaemic control. From the survey to assess liking and willingness to pay on HA snacks, HA packages received an average premium of €0.66 compared to control products. Although HA flour results in lower GI in both biscuits and bread, further studies are needed to evaluate the correct composition of HA products to have beneficial effects on post-prandial glycaemia.

The behavioural response of adult maize weevil, Sitophilus zeamais, to different types of semolina pasta enriched or not enriched with increasing proportions (5%, 10%, and 15%) of house cricket (Acheta domesticus) powder was investigated in olfactometer arena bioassays by using trap devices. In the five-choice behavioural bioassays, the number of S. zeamais adults attracted to 100% durum wheat semolina pasta was significantly higher than those attracted to the other pasta types enriched with A. domesticus powder. In the two-choice behavioural bioassays, the Response Index for each pasta type was positive and significant. However, although not significant, there was a progressive reduction in the Response Index as the cricket powder content increased. In similar experiments, there were no significant differences between cricket powder alone and the control in the number of attracted S. zeamais, indicating a neutral effect towards insects. These observations suggest that the lower attractiveness of pasta enriched with house cricket powder is mainly due to the masking of host food odours. Solid-phase microextraction coupled to gas chromatography–mass spectroscopy identified a total of 18 compounds in the head-space samples of the different types of pasta, highlighting differences in volatile composition. Some volatile compounds were only present in the pasta produced with cricket powder. In particular, 1-octen-3-ol and phenol were present in the samples containing 5%, 10%, or 15% cricket powder; pentanal, benzaldehyde, and dimethyl disulphide were present in samples containing 10% or 15% cricket powder; and 2,5-dimethyl-pyrazine was present in the sample containing 15% cricket powder. Further investigation with individual compounds and mixtures is needed to define the chemical basis of the differences in the insect olfactory preference observed in this study.

Carob pulp flour (Ceratonia siliqua) is gaining attention as a sustainable ingredient with nutritional and functional potential. This study evaluated the partial replacement of soft wheat flour with 10% carob pulp flour in breadmaking, focusing on the role of different leavening strategies: commercial baker’s yeast (LB), a selected starter culture, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum SL31 and Saccharomyces cerevisiae SY17 (LI), and a type I sourdough (LS). Dough rheology, microbial dynamics, bread quality, acceptability, and shelf-life were assessed. Results showed that the inclusion of carob pulp flour enhances the nutritional profile while maintaining satisfactory technological performance. The leavening strategy strongly influenced the final products: breads made with commercial yeast displayed high volume and softness but were less stable during storage; LS breads achieved greater microbial stability but were limited by excessive acidity and reduced sensory acceptance; breads obtained with the selected starter culture offered the most balanced outcome, combining moderate structure with enhanced flavor and consumer preference. Overall, the findings demonstrate the feasibility of incorporating carob pulp flour into bakery products and highlight the potential of tailored starter cultures as a promising compromise between technological performance, sensory quality, and shelf-life. Future work should optimize fermentation approaches to further enhance consumer appeal and support industrial application.