Rheological, Microstructural, and Physicochemical Characterization of Pasta Fortified with Carrot Pomace: A Comparative Study of Wheat Types and Carrot Varieties

This study aimed to investigate the effects of incorporating carrot pomace from different varieties (Baltimore, Belgrado, Niagara, and Sirkana) into pasta formulations made from durum and common wheat flours, as well as to optimize the addition level and characterize the resulting products. To this end, dough rheological properties, pasta chemical composition, cooking behavior, color, texture, sensory attributes, and microstructure were evaluated. Increasing levels of carrot pomace significantly influenced flour functionality, dough rheology, pasta texture, cooking behavior, and color characteristics. Higher pomace addition resulted in increased flour water absorption, dough complex modulus and hardness, pasta fracturability, cooking losses, and contents of crude fiber and total yellow pigments, while reducing dough deformation resistance, pasta color intensity, and chewiness. The magnitude of these changes was dependent on the carrot variety used. Process optimization allowed the determination of variety-specific optimal inclusion levels of carrot pomace for both flour types. For durum wheat flour, optimal levels ranged from 6.34% to 9.25%, while for common wheat flour they ranged from 8.12% to 11.17%. At these levels, cooking losses remained within acceptable limits (<8%), yellow coloration was enhanced, and dough structure rigidity increased, accompanied by delayed starch gelatinization. Pasta samples containing Niagara and Sirkana pomace showed the highest contents of dietary fiber and yellow pigments, reflecting their elevated β-carotene levels. Sensory evaluation indicated improved overall acceptability compared with control samples. These results demonstrate the potential of carrot pomace as a functional ingredient for the development of nutritionally enriched, value-added pasta products.