Culinary properties, nutritional quality, and in vitro starch digestibility of innovative gluten-free and climate smart cowpea-based pasta

This study investigates the processability, culinary and rheological properties, biochemical composition and invitro starch digestibility of new gluten-free pasta formulated with whole cowpea flour alone or combined with teff and/or amaranth leaf flour(s). These pasta are compared with three wheat-based pasta with fiber content increasing from 4% to 16% g/100g, 16% g/100g being the average fiber content of cowpea-based pasta. The pasta were processed using low temperature extrusion and drying. The antioxidant properties of amaranth leaf flour facilitated extrusion by limiting excessive aggregation of the dough during hydration/mixing that is attributed to lipoxygenase activity of cowpea flour. The optimal cooking time and cooking losses of cowpeabased pasta were similar to wheat-based pasta with comparable fiber content, highlighting fiber as a key factor influencing culinary properties. Adding teff to cowpea-based pasta reduced cooking losses and firmness. Although some micronutrients were lost during pasta processing and cooking, the consumption of a cooked portion of 100 g of dry cowpea-based pasta still covered FAO nutritional recommendations for protein, fiber, iron, zinc, and vitamin B9 targeting adult women. Adding amaranth leaves helped meet recommended betacarotene levels. The in vitro slowly digestible starch content of cowpea-based pasta is similar to or higher than that of wheat-based pasta.