Process Optimization and Quality Evaluation of Functional Pasta Enriched with Tender Jackfruit Flour

This study aimed to develop nutritionally enriched pasta using tender jackfruit flour, finger millet (ragi), and durum wheat flour. A Central Composite Design under Response Surface Methodology was employed to optimize the formulation with respect to cooking quality and sensory attributes. Pretreated jackfruit flour with 0.2% potassium metabisulfite (KMS) exhibited better color (L* = 73.2, a* = −0.9, b* = 13.8) retention as compared to the fresh sample. The optimized level was found to be (X1 , tender jackfruit flour 5 g, X2 , ragi flour 25 g, and X3 , durum wheat flour 75 g), resulting in pasta with desirable qualities: cooked weight of 23.71 g, cooking loss (9.2%), water absorption (128.57%), and high overall acceptability (7.78). Compared with the control, the optimized pasta exhibited higher fiber content, antioxidant activity (68.41% DPPH), phenolic content (61.13 mg GAE/100g), and vitamin C (10.36 mg/100g). The findings of this study emphasized jackfruit and ragi as functional ingredients that contribute to value-added, health-oriented pasta with improved nutritional and sensory attributes.