Development of a New Pasta Product by the Incorporation of Chestnut Flour and Bee Pollen

Abstract

This work aimed at developing fortified pastas incorporating chestnut flour (25–55%) and powdered pollen (5–20%), either separately or in combination, as well as the characterization of the products obtained. To this, a physical characterization was carried out (analyzing texture and color), complemented with chemical analyses to determine the nutritional composition. Results showed that adding chestnut flour over 40% to wheat-flour pasta shortened optimum cooking time and lowered cooking yield, and the addition to pasta prepared with wheat flour and eggs maintained approximately constant the cooking yield. Additionally, the incorporation of pollen powder (up to 20%) in pasta prepared with wheat flour and water or fresh egg shortened the cooking time and cooking yield, in both fresh and dried pasta. The most suitable percentages of the new ingredients were 50% for chestnut and 10% for pollen. Comparing with the control pasta recipe (wheat flour and egg), the addition of chestnut flour (50%) or pollen powder (10%) increased stickiness, adhesiveness and the darkening of the final product (fresh or dried) but maintained the firmness of the pasta. The cooking of fresh or dried pasta enriched with both ingredients turned the pasta clearer and slightly stickier. On the other hand, the addition of chestnut flour and pollen powder in pasta formulation delivered a nutritionally balanced product with high fiber, vitamins and minerals. Overall, chestnut flour and powdered pollen represent promising ingredients for the development of functional fresh and dried pasta formulations.

Development of the recipe of pasta with pumpkin flour

“…A feature of the obtained results compared to existing studies [21] in this direction is the determination of the level of expression of the smell and taste of pumpkin in pasta, as well as the level of sweet taste. In addition, the feature of the proposed method of pasta enrichment is the use of pumpkin flour in a differentiated manner.…”

Development of Innovative Candied Chestnuts from Three Chestnut Cultivars Grown in Portugal

“…To perform the measurements care was taken to promote similar light conditions when measuring the colour of all samples, including the avoidance of direct sunlight and control of the incidence of artificial light. The calibration of the meter was done using a white tile, with illuminant D65 [ 16 , 17 ]. All measurements were made on ten replicates.…”

Sweet Chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.) Nutritional and Phenolic Composition Interactions with Chestnut Flavor Physiology

“…Chestnuts contain fat-soluble vitamins (Ascorbic acid, B1, B2, B3, B6, and E) which promote healthy skin and improve brain function [ 15 , 33 ]. They play a key role in the aging process, help prevent blood clotting, are gluten-free, and are of great benefit to patients with celiac disease [ 4 , 34 , 35 ]. In addition, they also contain vitamin C (ascorbic acid) [ 15 , 32 ], which is an important antioxidant for human colon cells [ 36 ].…”

“…There are many examples of processing and combining nuts with other products. The well-known chestnut flour has grown as an ingredient in gluten-free diets, being incorporated into pasta production [ 3 , 34 ]. Even more, some chestnuts are put in increasing sugar concentrations and placed in a jar, and others are added to alcoholic beverages—such as brandies, cognacs, or liqueurs—to sweeten them for a period of 6 to 12 months [ 21 ].…”