Adding fiber to pasta seems a natural fit, but it can be challenging. There's an art to achieving the right moisture balance and pliability, and the dough must survive extrusion through the die for an entire production run. Consistency is key.
It’s important to remember two things when preparing high-fiber pasta, notes Jit Ang, executive vice president, International Fiber Corporation, North Tonawanda, NY. “When fiber is added at a significant level to the raw pasta formulation, the protein content of the formulation will be reduced,” he says. “The product developer may have to use additional protein, normally wheat gluten, to supplement this formulation. Secondly, high-fiber pastas tend to cook slightly different from regular pasta. Cooking time may be shorter for the same al dente texture with high-fiber pastas. In addition, the amounts of water absorbed by high-fiber pastas tend to be significantly more than regular pasta.”
Pasta basics
Semolina flour from durum wheat makes the benchmark by which we judge most pasta. It has 3.9 grams of dietary fiber per 100 grams. Cooked semolina pasta has 1.8 grams of fiber per 100 grams.
A key attribute of durum wheat is its high protein content, a minimum of 10.5%. The ideal range of protein in pasta flour is 12% to 16%. Durum wheat is also preferred for pasta making because it has strong gluten qualities.
Lower moisture is desirable in pasta making. Durum wheat has a maximum of 14.5% moisture.
Substituting whole-grain flours is an obvious way to boost fiber content. The key seems to lie in choosing milder flavor profiles and finely milled flours. Added gluten helps maintain dough strength for extrusion. The water in the formula will also require adjustment.
Typical whole-grain flours darken pasta color and coarsen texture. This may not win over those who grew up on typical enriched macaroni or spaghetti products.
Dean Lustig, general manager of business development, Philadelphia Macaroni, Philadelphia, has noticed less stratification when using finely milled whole-grain white wheat flour (13.7% protein, 12.2% fiber, 10.3% moisture) to increase fiber content. Absorption becomes less an issue. Extrusion difficulties are reduced. The finished product is more similar to typical semolina-based pasta.
For those willing to accept whole-grain flavor and color in the finished product, the addition of ground flaxseed can boost fiber while adding healthful omega-3s. Chad Boeckman, director of sales, Enreco, Inc., Sheboygan Falls, WI, notes that it’s easy to achieve a fiber claim when adding ground flaxseed. “Flax is 28% fiber by weight,” he says. Of this, “10 grams is soluble fiber and 18 grams is insoluble.”
Wheat fiber additions
“Most insoluble fibers are suitable for use as a fiber supplement in pasta,” says Ang. “However, the most-popular and common fiber used for pasta fortification is wheat fiber, since pasta is normally made from 100% wheat. Soluble fibers are not as common or suitable, since the traditional pasta cooking process will lead to soluble fiber loss.”