Sustainable innovation in pasta production: Exploring the potential use of “second cheese whey” as water substitute

The reuse of scotta, the whey-based leftover from Ricotta cheese production, remains underexploited despite extensive research on whey reutilization in food applications. This study investigated the potential application of scotta as a water substitute in dry pasta production and its impact on physicochemical, textural, antioxidant and sensory characteristics of the resulting product. Two types of scotta were investigated, obtained as by-products of the Ricotta cheese produced using the whey leftover from the Toma Piemontese PDO and cow’s milk Mozzarella cheeses production. Five pasta formulations were developed: a control sample (Ctrl, 100% water) and samples with 50% or 100% water replaced by scotta from Toma Piemontese PDO (T50, T100) or cow’s milk Mozzarella (M50, M100) whey. Each pasta sample was evaluated for proximate composition, cooking properties, colour, texture properties, antioxidant activity and sensory characteristics and acceptability. Results showed that the scotta type played a critical role in shaping the overall quality characteristics of pasta. The M50 sample showed the best balance of colour, antioxidant activity and sensory characteristics, resulting the formulation suitable to enhance the nutritional and functional profile of pasta without compromising consumers’ acceptability. On the other hand, Toma Piemontese PDO scotta-based formulations led to more marked changes mainly in texture properties, including increased firmness, chewiness and adhesiveness, which negatively affected consumers’ liking. Overall, this study suggested scotta as a sustainable ingredient that reduces dairy waste and promotes innovation in pasta production, providing a foundation for broader applications of dairy by-products in food systems.