The replacement of semolina (SEM) with raw:popped (90:10) amaranth flour blend (AFB) in pasta
making at 25, 50, 75, and 100 g/100 g levels (flour basis, 14 g of water/100 g) was carried out to evaluate
the effects on cooking quality and texture of the supplemented pasta samples. Significant differences on
cooking quality characteristics and texture of the pasta samples were observed. The pasta solid loss
increased, weight gain and firmness decreased as the AFB level increased. The semolina pasta showed
the lowest solid loss (7 g/100 g) and the highest weight gain (188.3 g/100 g) and firmness (1.49 N),
whereas the amaranth blend pasta was the softer (around half of the firmness of semolina pasta) and lost
the higher amount of solids (11.5 g/100 g). The raw and popped AFB was suitable for increasing the
nutritional quality through dietary fiber and high quality protein and even to obtain gluten-free pasta
with acceptable cooking quality (solid loss of 3.5 g/100 g higher than that considered as acceptable for
semolina pasta). The amaranth blend used in this study enables the partial or total replacement of wheat
semolina in pastas with acceptable cooking quality and texture.