This invention is the result of a further and continuing investigation of developments described in the copending patent application entitled Low Moisture Pasta Process, of Ventres et al., U.S. Ser. No. 39,744, filed Apr. 20, 1987, assigned to Borden, Inc. and incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention relates to making alimentary paste or pasta products that require no conventional drying step. The terms "alimentary pastes" and "pastes", as used herein, refer to the flour and water mixtures commonly known as pasta.
The manufacture of dried, uncooked pasta such as spaghetti, macaroni, noodles, ziti, etc. consists of mixing flour and water to form a paste or feedstock which is extruded through a die under pressure, cut in pieces and dried. Considering the apparent simplicity of the process it would appear to be an extremely easy matter for anyone to manufacture such goods. However, those skilled in the art know that in order for the dried, uncooked pasta to be consumer-acceptable, it should possess good color, have a surface that is not uneven or serrated or "crinkled", and have good tensile strength if it is long goods such as spaghetti; cook up to a pasta that has resisted disintegration, and microbial spoilage, and is not mushy and that these properties are not easy of achievement in a consistent manner.
Alimentary pastes are generally made from coarse, hard flours obtained from hard wheat such as the middlings of durum wheat, often referred to as "semolina flour" or "semolina". Semolina comprises a major portion of the flour in alimentary pastes because it is highly glutinous and provides a self-supporting pasta. Shaped products made from semolina flour will substantially maintain their original form after subsequent processing, such as cooking. The term "cooking", as used herein, refers to the process of gelatinizing the starch and denaturing the protein to form a firm, rigid matrix within the alimentary paste, which occurs upon heating the alimentary paste in boiling water.
Pastas are commercially available in many forms including cooked, partially cooked and uncooked forms. Cooked pasta is defined herein to mean pasta wherein substantially all of the starch is gelatinized. Uncooked pasta is defined herein to mean pasta wherein a major portion of the starch is ungelatinized, i.e., greater than about 80% by weight of the total starch content is ungelatinized. The term "uncooked pasta" includes pasta wherein essentially none of the starch is gelatinized. Starch gelatinization is generally accompanied with protein denaturation. Although protein denaturation is of greater concern, starch gelatinization can be quantified with greater accuracy and is therefore used herein to define cooked and uncooked pasta.
There are advantages to each of these three different types of pasta products; however, the most common form of pasta that is purchased at retail is dry, uncooked pasta. Pasta in this form may be stored at room temperature for long periods of time. In addition, pasta in this form maintains its highly glutinous properties in that a substantial portion of protein is undenatured, and provides a firm paste upon cooking.
Fresh pasta, that is uncooked, packaged pasta, is sometimes available in the refrigerator section of grocery stores. Although fresh, uncooked pasta is relatively expensive because of its high packaging costs and because of its short refrigerator shelf life, many consumers are willing to pay a premium price to get the unique taste and shortened cooking time.
Processes for the commercial manufacture of dry, uncooked pasta are well known. In these processes, water and semolina flour are mixed in an extruder to provide an alimentary paste. This paste or feedstock is forced through holes in the extruder die at a high pressure and at an elevated temperature, to obtain the desired cross-sectional shape. The extrudate is usually cut to desired lengths. In a conventional pasta extrusion process, the feedstock has a moisture level of about 30 weight percent and more and is extruded at a temperature of about 120.degree. F. (49.degree. C.). Moisture levels of at least 30 weight percent are needed to maintain the viscosity of the alimentary paste sufficiently low to prevent excessive pressure within the extruder and to simplify the blending procedure. Temperatures of about 120.degree. F. (49.degree. C.) are utilized to prevent cooking, i.e., gelatinization of the starch and denaturation of the protein.
Drying is the most time consuming step in the preparation of uncooked pastas. The extrudate generally has a moisture level of at least 28% by weight or generally even more which must be reduced to a value of about 10%-13% to permit storage of the product at ambient conditions. The drying step, or steps, may require from about 18-36 hours under careful controlled conditions such as relative humidity of the air, temperature of the air and rate of air circulation around the pasta. Since the pasta is in its final extruded shape, drying is a very delicate operation. Accelerating the drying process may affect the integrity of the finished product since very rapid drying may cause the pasta to warp or crack. However, slowing the drying process by allowing freshly made conventional pasta to dry at ambient conditions not only would result in a dry product with unacceptable integrity, but also the pasta might sour or become moldy.
Reducing the time of this drying period or better still eliminating this conventional drying period without affecting the integrity and quality of the pasta product, would be advantageous when producing dry, uncooked pasta, since the energy expended in the drying process would be significantly reduced, thus reducing the cost of production.
It is known to use low levels of ethyl alcohol in a feedstock of pasta products. Harada et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,540,590, make a packaged, partially-dried pasta from an ethanol-containing feedstock. The feedstock has a conventional moisture content of at least 30%. Harada et al require that the extrudate be partially dried before packaging. Harada et al require that after packaging, the packaged product be sterilized.
Japanese patent application No. 14141, dated Mar. 12, 1982, describes a method of making cooked noodles from ethanol-containing feedstock. The feedstock must be matured over a period of time before it is molded into pasta pieces and cooked. The alcohol is presumably used to keep the feedstock sterile while it is maturing.