Disclosed is a process for producing at least one metabolite of interest by conversion of a pentose in a microorganism. The process includes at least: (i) an operation of culturing a recombinant microorganism expressing a synthetic pathway for pentose assimilation which includes at least the following steps: a) phosphorylation in position 1 of a pentose chosen from (D)-xylulose and/or (L)-ribulose, b) cleavage of the pentose-1-phosphate obtained at the end of step a), in order to obtain glycolaldehyde and dihydroxyacetone phosphate (DHAP), and (ii) an operation of recovering the at least one metabolite of interest obtained at the end of the culturing operation (i). Also disclosed is an associated microorganism.