Nutritionally enhanced pasta

Abstract

The invention provides for the use of a texture modifying agent added to nutritionally enhanced pasta dough, such as pasta dough with high levels of protein, so that a pasta product can be produced with a quality similar to that of conventional pasta. The texture modifying agent, which preferably includes an enzyme, permits the nutritionally enhanced pasta dough to be extruded in conventional pasta manufacturing equipment and to form a pasta product with a texture similar to typical semolina-based pasta.

1 . A pasta dough for forming a nutritionally enhanced pasta product, the pasta dough comprising: 
 water in an amount to form a pasta dough,    a protein source in an amount such that the nutritionally-enhanced pasta product has greater than about 13 percent protein;    a texture modifying agent in an amount to provide (1) a semolina-like texture to the nutritionally enhanced pasta product and (2) an elasticity to the pasta dough such that the pasta dough can be extruded into the nutritionally enhanced pasta product; and    wherein the texture modifying agent includes a proteolytic enzyme.    
     
     
         2 . The pasta dough of  claim 1 , wherein the protein source is selected from the group comprising wheat flour, vital gluten, wheat protein isolates, soy protein isolates, and combinations thereof in an amount such that the nutritionally enhanced pasta product has about 20 to about 35 percent protein.  
     
     
         3 . The pasta dough of  claim 2 , wherein the pasta dough further comprises: about 30 to about 60 percent wheat flour; about 5 to about 15 percent wheat protein isolate; and about 5 to about 15 percent vital gluten.  
     
     
         4 . The pasta dough of  claim 1 , wherein the texture modifying agent includes about 50 to about 500 ppm of the proteolytic enzyme in the pasta dough.  
     
     
         5 . The pasta dough of  claim 4 , wherein the proteolytic enzyme is selected from the group consisting of endo-peptidases, exo-peptidases and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         6 . The pasta dough of  claim 5 , wherein the proteolytic enzyme is selected from the group consisting of papain, bromelain, proteases of microbial origin, and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         7 . The pasta dough of  claim 6 , wherein the proteases of microbial origin are derived from  Aspergillus Orizae.    
     
     
         8 . The pasta dough of  claim 1 , wherein the texture modifying agent further includes about 50 to about 200 ppm of a reducing agent in the pasta dough.  
     
     
         9 . The pasta dough of  claim 8 , wherein the reducing agent is selected from the group consisting of ascorbic acid, L-cysteine, sorbic acid, and fumaric acid, and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         10 . The pasta dough of  claim 1 , wherein the texture modifying agent further includes about 5,000 to about 20,000 ppm of a dough modifier in the pasta dough.  
     
     
         11 . The pasta dough of  claim 10 , wherein the dough modifier is selected from the group comprising glyceryl monoestearate, mono- and di-glycerides, and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         12 . The pasta dough of  claim 1 , wherein the dough comprises about 27 to about 35 percent water.  
     
     
         13 . A pasta dough for forming a nutritionally enhanced pasta product, the pasta dough comprising: 
 a protein source in an amount such that the nutritionally enhanced pasta product has greater than about 13 percent protein;    about 50 to about 500 ppm of a proteolytic enzyme;    zero to about 200 ppm of a reducing agent;    zero to about 20,000 ppm of a dough modifier;    wherein the pasta dough exhibits a predetermined extruder pressure such that the pasta dough can be extruded into the nutritionally enhanced pasta product; and    wherein the nutritionally enhanced pasta product has a texture similar to a semolina-based pasta.    
     
     
         14 . The pasta dough of  claim 13 , wherein the amount of reducing agent is about 50 to about 200 ppm and the amount of dough modifier is about 5,000 to about 20,000 ppm.  
     
     
         15 . The pasta dough of  claim 13 , wherein the pasta dough further comprises: 
 about 30 to about 60 percent wheat flour;    about 5 to about 15 percent wheat protein isolate;    about 5 to about 15 percent vital gluten; and    wherein the nutritionally enhanced pasta product has about 20 to about 35 percent protein.    
     
     
         16 . The pasta dough of  claim 13 , wherein the proteolytic enzyme is selected from the group consisting of endo-peptidases, exo-peptidases and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         17 . The pasta dough of  claim 16 , wherein the proteolytic enzyme is selected from the group consisting of papain, bromelain, proteases of microbial origin, and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         18 . The pasta dough of  claim 13 , wherein the reducing agent is selected from the group consisting of ascorbic acid, L-cysteine, sorbic acid, fumaric acid, and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         19 . The pasta dough of  claim 13 , wherein the dough modifier is selected from the group comprising glyceryl monoestearate, mono- and di-glycerides, and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         20 . The pasta dough of  claim 13 , wherein the predetermined extruder pressure is from about 80 to about 100 bar.  
     
     
         21 . A method of forming a nutritionally enhanced pasta product, the method comprising: 
 blending a texture modifying agent into a pasta dough having a protein source in an amount such that the nutritionally-enhanced pasta product has greater than about 13 percent protein;    extruding the pasta dough into the nutritionally enhanced pasta product; and    wherein the texture modifying agent is in an amount to provide a predetermined extruder pressure such that the pasta dough can be extruded and wherein the texture modifying agent is in an amount to provide a texture to the nutritionally enhanced pasta product of a semolina-based product.    
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising adding the texture-modifying agent into water to form a water pre-mix; and blending the water pre-mix into the pasta dough.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the protein source is selected from the group comprising wheat flour, vital gluten, wheat protein isolates, soy protein isolates, and combinations thereof in an amount such that the nutritionally-enhanced pasta product has about 20 to about 35 percent protein.  
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the pasta dough comprises about 30 to about 60 percent wheat flour; about 5 to about 15 percent wheat protein isolate; and about 5 to about 15 percent vital gluten.  
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the texture modifying agent includes about 50 to about 500 ppm of the proteolytic enzyme in the pasta dough.  
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the proteolytic enzyme is selected from the group consisting of endo-peptidases, exo-peptidases and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the proteolytic enzyme is selected from the group consisting of papain, bromelain, proteases of microbial origin, and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the proteases of microbial origin are derived from  Aspergillus Orizae.    
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the texture modifying agent includes about 50 to about 200 ppm of a reducing agent in the pasta dough.  
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the reducing agent is selected from the group consisting of ascorbic acid, L-cysteine, sorbic acid, and fumaric acid, and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the texture modifying agent further includes about 5000 to about 20,000 ppm of a dough modifier in the pasta dough.  
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the dough modifier is selected from the group comprising glyceryl. monoestearate, mono- and di-glycerides, and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the predetermined extruder pressure is about 80 to about 100 bar.