Spirulina can change more than the colour of fresh pasta. In a controlled study, adding Spirulina platensis powder to semolina pasta affected colour, water absorption, cooking loss and sensory scores. The practical takeaway is to test the cooked pasta, not just the dry dough.
What one pasta study found
Researchers prepared fresh semolina pasta with 3%, 5%, 7% and 10% spirulina powder by weight. Higher additions made a stronger colour change, while the 10% sample had the highest reported cooking loss in that experiment. The authors also evaluated texture, flavour and overall acceptability. Those levels belong to that flour, powder, dough and cooking method; they are not a commercial recommendation.
Keep the comparison fair
Make a control dough with the same semolina and water as the test batches. Keep kneading, resting, sheet thickness, cut size and cooking conditions consistent. Record powder identity, lot and addition point. If you adjust water, document it and treat it as another variable.
Check pasta after boiling
Record raw and cooked colour, sheetability, sticking, shape retention, cook time, water uptake and cooking loss. Assess firmness, mouthfeel, flavour and aftertaste. Use the same pasta-to-water ratio and cooking time for every sample. If customers will use a sauce, test it with the finished plate too.
Avoid a nutrition shortcut
A research paper may report composition for its own test pasta. Your finished product’s nutrition depends on exact ingredients and serving size. Use a suitable analysis or compliant calculation method for your label.
Write a brief with the target shade, pasta type, process and shelf-life. Request current specifications and lot documents for the material you plan to evaluate. AimGrow lists a bulk spirulina powder product; confirm current details and application fit before scale-up.
This study used a specific semolina fresh-pasta model. It does not validate dried, gluten-free or other pasta systems.