Effect of Glycerol and Gluten on Mechanical Properties and 1H NMR Mobility of Cooked Pasta

The effect of gluten and glycerol (5 and 15 % of flour substitution) on physico-chemical properties and 1H Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) mobility of cooked pasta was evaluated. Pasta was cooked either for the same cooking time (10 min) or to reach 55 g water / 100 g sample. Gluten addition in pasta formulation resulted in a reduced water absorption during cooking, a slower hydration process and harder products (as compared to the control). The presence of glycerol in the formulation, on the contrary, favoured water uptake during cooking and resulted in softer products. At a molecular level, gluten did not significantly alter 1H NMR dynamics, while glycerol increased molecular mobility and proton exchange, suggesting different molecular dynamics and pasta microstructure.