Conventional cooking pastas are produced by adding water to durum wheat semolina, shaping the dough by extrusion or by lamination and drying. This pasta type is prepared by boiling to provide an aal dente' texture.
The al dente texture is mainly due to the presence of a high quality/quantity gluten network formed during the extrusion process and the gelatinisation of native starch, naturally present in the semolina, by cooking in water. Several approaches have been tried out to serve al dente pastas with improved convenience and speed in preparation. Quick cooking pasta is a thin walled pasta that can be boiled al dente in a short time (usually 5 minutes). However, they cannot be prepared as quickly and a conveniently as ainstant pasta'. Frozen pasta also has a high convenience level. But, due to its special requirements for distribution and storage, this pasta has not become as popular as instant pasta.
Instant pasta has been treated to obtain a strong gluten network and a gelatinised starch followed by a drying or frying stage. The higher the conversion of native starch, naturally in the semolina, into gelatinised starch during the process, the better the texture of the end product and the smaller the difference between the organoleptical characteristics of a cooked conventional pasta and a rehydrated instant pasta.
Enquiry No 20A
J Soubry NV Industrial Department is based Roeselare, Belgium. www.soubry.com
