Small‐Scale Reconstitution of Durum Semolina Components

Pasta prepared by extrusion from 25 g of semolina has been compared with that made from a standard laboratory extruder and found to have similar quality. Durum semolina was fractionated into its starch, gluten, water soluble, and residue fractions. The freeze‐dried components were reconstituted and the properties of the reconstituted semolina (ReSem) have been measured. Examination using a 2 g‐mixograph and micro‐extension tester has shown that ReSem behaves similarly to the original semolina. ReSem and semolina were made into pasta using a small‐scale pasta extruder and were of comparable cooking quality. The fractionation and reconstitution of durum semolina on this scale is a useful technique to evaluate the contribution of semolina components to pasta quality.