Assessment of Probe Type for Measuring Pasta Texture

AACC International Approved Method 16-50.01, Pasta and Noodle Cooking Quality—Firmness, is probably the most common method of determining the texture of cooked pasta, particularly for long goods such as spaghetti and noodles. Challenges exist when trying to use this method for short-cut pasta. Research was conducted to determine the suitability of different texture probes for determining cooked pasta texture. Probes evaluated included a pasta blade, Ottawa cell, modified Ottawa cell, Kramer shear cell, mini-Kramer shear cell, and firmness-stickiness rig. Pasta shapes evaluated included spaghetti, rotini, lasagna, and macaroni. Pasta was made from 100% semolina, 51% whole wheat and 49% semolina, and 100% whole wheat and was cooked to the optimum cooking time (OCT), OCT + 2 min, and OCT – 2 min. The shearing-type probes tended to provide similar results for cooked hardness as affected by formulation, regardless of pasta shape. The compression-type probes detected differences in hardness due to formulation l...