Drying Kinetics, Cooking Quality, and Texture of 3D‐Printed Gluten‐Free Pasta: Effect of Geometry, Nozzle Diameter, and Drying Temperature

The rising prevalence of celiac disease and gluten sensitivity has increased demand for gluten‐free pasta, whose production remains a technological challenge owing to the absence of a gluten network providing structure and cohesion. Extrusion‐based 3D printing enables the design of gluten‐free pasta with customized geometries, yet the influence of processing conditions, particularly drying, on product quality remains scarcely studied. This work aimed to produce gluten‐free pasta using 3D printing and evaluate the effects of printing geometry (circular and rhomboidal), nozzle diameter (0.8 and 1.2 mm), and drying temperature (50°C and 80°C) on drying kinetics, cooking behavior, and texture. The experimental drying curves were fitted to the Page, Logarithmic, and Midilli‐Kucuk mathematical models, with the Midilli‐Kucuk model providing the best fit across all samples. The rhomboidal samples demonstrated an optimal cooking time approximately half that of circular ones. Drying at 80°C increased the uncooked area and water absorption while reducing cooking loss, hardness, chewiness, and resilience, producing a softer pasta. These results suggest high‐temperature drying created a more fragile structure that weakened the printed filaments. Overall, carefully adjusting printing geometry and drying temperature makes it possible to modulate the cooking performance and texture of 3D‐printed gluten‐free pasta.