A process for the preparation of instant-cooking alimentary paste, mainly of the type based on cereal flours or other flours, characterized in that it comprises the following steps: (a) the carrying out of a vaporization treatment, using steam at a temperature of less than 100.degree. C., at atmospheric pressure, on a paste coming from the extrusion stage and having a moisture content of between 25% and 35%; (b) the humidification of the paste treated as stated until its moisture content is approximately from 40% to 55%; (c) allowing the paste humidified in this way to stand; (d) the carrying out of a vaporization treatment of the paste allowed to stand as under (c) above with steam at a temperature of less than 100.degree. C., at atmospheric pressure.
It has been discovered that dried extruded pasta shapes prepared in certain ways display a high toleration for exposure to water at temperatures of less than boiling. This toleration is conveniently evaluated by cooking in a microwave over and then extracting with room temperature water to determine if the starch loss is less than 7.0 weight percent. This toleration is obtained by exposing the extruded pasta shapes to temperatures of about 180.degree. F. or greater, temperatures of about 165.degree. F. or greater if the pasta contains a low temperature coagulatable protein such as egg whites or simple room temperature aging if the pasta contains both a low temperature coagulatable protein and a sulfhydryl reducing agent such as 1-cysteine hydrochloride. This toleration makes the pasta amenable to a number of cooking procedures such as presoaking in cold water prior to cooling (thus dramatically reducing the cooking time), and cooking in a microwave oven. It also makes the pasta amenable to cooking in just the amount of water which it will absorb in becoming cooked, thus providing an incentive for including lipid based flavoring agents in the pasta.
A short cut pasta treatment process utilizes a steamer (13) for steam treating short cut pasta products after extrusion and before handling. The steamer has a housing (14) in which pipes (23) with nozzles (24) are disposed, both above and below an endless belt conveyor (21) which passes through the housing. "Green" pasta is carried by the conveyor through the housing, exposing the pasta to live steam. The pasta is steam treated for a time sufficient to partially gelatinize and cook the pasta product, which reduces tackiness and strengthens the product to limit breakage. Air is then drawn by the pasta by a pair of fans (25) to stop the cooking process and cool the pasta, allowing the partially cooked pasta to be handled and stored without agglomeration. Utilizing the short cut pasta steaming process allows automation of the packaging and conveying system for producing a short cut product without requiring a costly and time consuming drying operation.
An apparatus for forming extruded pasta shapes. The apparatus is a die plate having a plurality of orifices wherein the die plate is heated, e.g., to a temperature of at least about 130.degree. F. (about 54.degree. C.), and preferably about 160.degree. F. (about 71.degree. C.) A coating is provided on only a portion of the interior surface of each orifice such that heat transfer to the paste is substantially inhibited in a given orifice until the cross section of the orifice has reached its smallest value.
A method of forming extruded pasta shapes is disclosed. The method comprises forming pasta shaped by feeding a feedstock comprises of glutinous flour and water to an extruder that is equipped with a die plate having a plurality of holes, and extruding said alimentary paste through the holes in the extruder die plate by internal pressure. Extrusion is performed in such a manner that the extruded alimentary paste remains substantially uncooked. The improvement provided by the invention comprises heating the extruder die plate to a temperature of at least about 130.degree. F. (about 54.degree. C.), and preferably about 160.degree. F. (about 71.degree. C.), in order to attain the advantages of the invention. In a preferred embodiment, a coating is provided on a portion of the interior of the holes such that heat transfer to the paste is substantially inhibited until the cross section of the hole has reached its smallest value. A heated extrusion die plate and the shaped alimentary paste prepared therewith are also disclosed.
Non-fried, oil-free, instant cooking dry noodles are produced by the following process: (a) partially gelatinizing a noodle dough; (b) forming said partially gelatinized dough into discrete pieces of the desired shape; (c) surface drying said pieces, if necessary; and (d) suddenly vaporizing remaining moisture to expand the interior of the noodle and create a porous structure. These noodle products are precooked and can be prepared simply by immersing them in a hot edible liquid for a short period.
