Cooking and sensorial quality, nutritional composition and functional properties of cold-extruded rice/white bean gluten-free fettuccine fortified with whole carob fruit flour

Different rice/white bean based gluten-free fettuccine (rice 0-100%, bean 0-100%) fortified with 10% carob fruit were developed. The proximate composition, total and resistant starch, and total, soluble and insoluble dietary fibre content, as well as the cooking and sensorial quality of uncooked and cooked pasta were determined. All novel gluten-free fettuccine forms showed good cooking quality (cooking loss <10%), highlighting those containing carob fruit, with better nutritional and healthy profiles than the commercial gluten-free rice pasta; they were low in fat (10-fold) and high in protein (on average 3.6-fold), resistant starch (16%) and dietary fibres (2.4-fold). The cooking process increased (p<0.05) the protein and total dietary fibres content, but reduced the total and resistant starch. The addition of carob fruit increased the total dietary fibres content improving the functional value of the fettuccine. Considering the sensorial analysis, fettuccine produced with 40% bean and 10% carob would be well accepted by consumers and it can be advised as functional food.