Cereal Chem 64:106-109   |  VIEW ARTICLE

Contents and Retentions of Sodium and Other Minerals in Pasta Cooked in Unsalted or Salted Water.

J. A. Albrecht, E. H. Asp, and I. M. Buzzard. Copyright 1987 by the American Association of Cereal Chemists, Inc. 

Elbow macaroni, egg noodle, and spaghetti samples were cooked in unsalted or salted tap water without rinsing or in salted tap water followed by rinsing with unsalted tap water. Additional samples of elbow macaroni were cooked in distilled water by the same three methods. Uncooked and cooked pasta samples were analyzed for sodium and eight other minerals (P, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu) by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy. The sodium content of elbow macaroni, egg noodles, and spaghetti cooked in unsalted tap water averaged 1.1, 3.9, and 0.9 mg/100 g, respectively. Cooking these products in salted tap water increased average sodium contents to 176.6, 191.9, and 107.4 mg/100 g, respectively. Rinsing pastas cooked in salted water decreased sodium content by approximately 30%. Elbow macaroni cooked in unsalted and salted tap water contained more calcium than that cooked in distilled water; other minerals were not affected by type of water and addition of salt.