Technological and Nutritional Characteristics of Gluten-Free Pasta Enriched With Tomato and Linseed By-Products

In recent years, the market's demand for gluten-free products has been steadily rising, and similarly, the interest in the functionalization of the food matrix to obtain healthier products has been increasing. Furthermore, there is a growing interest in valorizing agri-food by-products that still contain ingredients that enhance the nutritional properties of food. The objective of this study was to evaluate the cooking and texture quality parameters, starch digestibility, and total dietary fiber of gluten-free pasta enriched with varying additions (10% and 15%) of two food industry by-products: tomato waste powder and linseed cake powder. The results indicate that the enriched gluten-free pasta samples exhibited improved nutritional profiles, although some quality parameters were at times affected. The linseed cake powder improved resistant starch content, lowered cooking loss, and increased adhesiveness more effectively than the tomato waste powder. Conversely, tomato waste powder-enriched gluten-free pasta had higher dietary fiber (6.5% and 8.7% with 10% and 15% addition, respectively) and increased cooking loss (by 100% and 131% for 10% and 15%, respectively), as well as lowered firmness (by 9% and 34% for 10% and 15%, respectively). Nevertheless, all enriched samples showed a significant reduction in their predicted glycemic index, which corresponded to the level of by-product addition. This study demonstrates the potential of utilizing food industry by-products to enhance the nutritional value of gluten-free pasta, thereby supporting a circular economy in food production.