A New Approach with Agri-Food By-Products: A Case Study of Fortified Fresh Pasta with Red Onion Peels

Pagazzo, Alessia; Bavaro, Anna Rita; D’Antuono, Isabella; Linsalata, Vito; Cardinali, Angela; Conte, Amalia; Del Nobile, Matteo Alessandro

doi:10.3390/foods14234101

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A New Approach with Agri-Food By-Products: A Case Study of Fortified Fresh Pasta with Red Onion Peels

by

Alessia Pagazzo

^1,†

,

Anna Rita Bavaro

^2,†

,

Isabella D’Antuono

²

,

Vito Linsalata

²

,

Angela Cardinali

²

,

Amalia Conte

^3,*

and

Matteo Alessandro Del Nobile

⁴

¹

Department of Social Sciences, University of Foggia, Via A. da Zara 11, 71122 Foggia, Italy

²

Institute of Sciences of Food Production, National Research Council (CNR-ISPA), Via G. Amendola 122/O, 70126 Bari, Italy

³

Department of Humanistic Studies, Letters, Cultural Heritage, Educational Sciences, University of Foggia, Via Arpi 176, 71121 Foggia, Italy

⁴

Department of Economics, Management and Territory, University of Foggia, Via A. da Zara 11, 71122 Foggia, Italy

^*

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

^†

These authors contributed equally to the work.

Foods 2025, 14(23), 4101; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14234101 (registering DOI)

Submission received: 27 October 2025 / Revised: 24 November 2025 / Accepted: 27 November 2025 / Published: 28 November 2025

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant By-Products Fortify the Nutritional and Functional Properties of Foods)

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Abstract

The current study aimed to fortify fresh pasta with red onion peels in the form of powder (OPP). For this aim, three concentrations were used (3%, 6%, and 9% w/w) and properly added to the dough. A control sample was also prepared for comparison (CTRL). Raw and cooked pasta samples were assessed for sensory acceptability and technological properties. Fibre content, total polyphenols, and antioxidant activity (by ABTS and FRAP) were assessed in raw materials and pasta samples. The glycaemic index was also predicted. Results from sensory evaluation and technological analyses demonstrated that with increasing OPP, some defects were perceived to provoke a complete unacceptance with the highest fortification level (9% score < 5). However, these effects were counterbalanced by a significant functional quality increase in fibre content, total polyphenols, and antioxidant activity, justified by the presence of the new onion-based ingredient. Therefore, to better balance benefits and drawbacks of onion peel recycling, a global quality index (GQI) was calculated, which accounted for nutritional improvements and sensory worsening. The most interesting GQI values were found for both 3% and 6% levels of fortification (52.58 vs. 51.86). Considering that these values are very comparable, the 6% can be considered the optimal concentration because it represents the highest concentration to give a fortified and sensorially friendly product.

Keywords: red onion peels; by-products; fresh pasta; enrichment; sustainability; bioactive compounds

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MDPI and ACS Style

Pagazzo, A.; Bavaro, A.R.; D’Antuono, I.; Linsalata, V.; Cardinali, A.; Conte, A.; Del Nobile, M.A. A New Approach with Agri-Food By-Products: A Case Study of Fortified Fresh Pasta with Red Onion Peels. Foods 2025, 14, 4101. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14234101

AMA Style

Pagazzo A, Bavaro AR, D’Antuono I, Linsalata V, Cardinali A, Conte A, Del Nobile MA. A New Approach with Agri-Food By-Products: A Case Study of Fortified Fresh Pasta with Red Onion Peels. Foods. 2025; 14(23):4101. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14234101

Chicago/Turabian Style

Pagazzo, Alessia, Anna Rita Bavaro, Isabella D’Antuono, Vito Linsalata, Angela Cardinali, Amalia Conte, and Matteo Alessandro Del Nobile. 2025. "A New Approach with Agri-Food By-Products: A Case Study of Fortified Fresh Pasta with Red Onion Peels" Foods 14, no. 23: 4101. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14234101

APA Style

Pagazzo, A., Bavaro, A. R., D’Antuono, I., Linsalata, V., Cardinali, A., Conte, A., & Del Nobile, M. A. (2025). A New Approach with Agri-Food By-Products: A Case Study of Fortified Fresh Pasta with Red Onion Peels. Foods, 14(23), 4101. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14234101

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A New Approach with Agri-Food By-Products: A Case Study of Fortified Fresh Pasta with Red Onion Peels

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