Background of the invention The term"pasta"here refers to products obtained from durum wheat or soft wheat flour, mixed and kneaded with water and any other ingredients and/or additives, such as eggs and spinach, and then shaped into a final shape to obtain spaghetti, macaroni, tagliatelle noodles and the like.

Known processes for the production of pasta involve preparing a mixture of flour and water, and any other-ingredients and/or additives, and giving the pasta its final shape by means of extrusion, drawing or rolling. The product then undergoes drying.

The object of the present invention is to provide a process for the industrial production of pastas with excellent organoleptic characteristics.

In accordance to the invention, this object is achieved by means of a process for the industrial production of pasta which makes it possible to obtain pasta that looks, feels and tastes similar to, or exactly like, analogous pasta produced manually, with the benefit of being lighter.

In particular, the present invention relates to a process for the industrial production of pasta according to claim 1.

According to one preferred aspect of the invention, the swelling and aeration step occurs, at least in part, after the step in which the mixture is worked and the product shaped, and includes the initial drying of the surface of the molded product to obtain a surface that is

uneven yet free from cracks, breaks or irregularities.

Another object of the invention are the pastas obtained through the process according to the invention as characterized according to claim 6.

The invention also concerns a pasta formulation according to claim 9.

Summary of the invention The invention makes it possible to obtain pasta with an uneven look and configuration that, to the taste, reveals organoleptic and textural characteristics similar or identical to those found in hand-made pasta, but with the added benefit provided by the product's lightness/airiness. In fact, the density of the pasta obtained with the invention is less than that of home-made pasta.

This greater lightness and airiness also provides further economic and dietary benefits: the consumer feels sated after consuming a smaller amount of this product than of a traditional pasta product.

Brief description of the drawings The invention will be further disclosed hereinafter in a non-limiting examplary manner with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: -Fig. 1 is a perspective and sectional view of a tagliatelle noodle obtained according to the invention, and -Fig. 2 is a perspective and sectional view of a spaghetti noodle obtained according to the invention.

Description of the preferred embodiment The process according to the present invention comprises the steps of mixing flour with water to form a mixture, working said mixture in order to give the product its final shape, and drying the product; it is characterized in that it also includes a step in which said product undergoes swelling and internat aeration, a step that occurs, at least

in part, after the aforementioned step in which the mixture is worked.

Swelling and aerating serves to create products (Fig. 1 and 2) provided with a plurality of microalveoli, or cells, 2 inside the product 1 and 1 a. The alveoli are usually present on the outer surface, too, in the form of swellings 4 that make the outer surface of the product undulated and uneven, but generally free of cracks, breaks or discontinuities of the surface. The presence of said discontinuities would give rise to problems during cooking.

For the preparation of the dough, durum and soft wheat can be used, rich in protein and providing an extendible, elastic, glutinous"mesh", for the purpose of avoiding the aforementioned discontinuities forming on the outer surface. In particuiar, the types of flour or durum wheat flour used should preferably have the following characteristics: -Zeleny Index: > 20, preferably > 30; -Brabender farinograph: mixture stability above 5 min, preferably above 10 min; -Chopin alveograph: W > 100, preferably from 140 to 180 ; -Falling number: greater than 150, preferably from 200 to 250.

In order to obtain the required alveolar texture and a swelling in the pasta, two types of swelling or expanding agents are used: chemical or biological yeasts, or physical agents. The physical agents include: -water emulsified with fats that is added to the dough and which, when evaporating and expanding, creates the required alveolar structure; -water containing dissolved gases (e. g., carbon dioxide), under pressure, which expand and form the alveoli when the temperature is raised; -whipped egg whites that expand when added to the mixture, due to the heat effects described here above.

The types of chemical yeast, also known as"yeast surrogates", are mixtures of inorganic salts known in the art, including such elements as sodium bicarbonate, ammonium bicarbonate, in combination with such acids as tartaric acid or its salts, in order to keep the mixture at a constant pH level between 5 and 6. Examples of suitable mixtures currently on the market are: . monopotassium tartrate, sodium bicarbonate; this mixture is preferably used in quantities of from 2% to 7% of the weight of the mixed flour or durum wheat flour; -disodium pyrophosphate, sodium bicarbonate; preferably used in amounts within the range of 2% to 7% of the weight of the flour or durum wheat flour.

Suitable types of biological yeast are also known in the art in regards to bread fermentation techniques (e. g., Saccharomyces cerevisiae); in order to blend them into the dough they are previously diluted in the flour or dissolved in the water that is added to the flour. The amount of biological yeast used is within the range of 0.5% to 5% of the weight of the flour. Together with the yeast it is preferable to use a and B amylase (such as malt) and/or diastatic enzymes to accelerate the fermentation reaction. For instance, dough will be used that contain, besides flour or durum wheat flour, malt, maltose, water and yeast, or fructose, glucose, water and yeast. The mixture's pH level is between 5 and 6.

In general, the amount of yeast (either chemical or biological) that is added is such as to avoid unwanted cracks or discontinuities of the product surface, and such as to produce proper swelling in the product.

Water used in the mixture is preferably any type rich in Ca and/or Mg, and the amount of water used is such as to create a mixture

containing approximately 30-35% total water, including the moisture of the flour, which is preferably around 15% of the weight of the flour.

The method used to"finely"dose the amount of water required is known in the art to the skilled person: in practice, the skilled person will add as much water as can be absorbed by the dough without causing a"glueing"effect on the mixing blades and the sides of the tub of the mixing equipment.

The dough preparation step calls for using water-in amounts described above-at a temperature preferably between 30 and 40°C; the dough is worked for a length of time within the range of 20 to 40 minutes. The yeast may be added at the beginning, mixed into the flour or durum flour, or, alternatively, it may be added diluted in water in the final mixing step. In the latter case, mixing continues until the yeast is spread uniformly throughout the entire dough.

The dough is then treated so as to give the product the desired shape or format. For instance, the mixture is drawn into the different formats (spaghetti, penne, etc.) or rolled into tagliatelle, fettuccine, and the like. The shape given to the product in this step can be obtained using machinery known in the art and normally used for this purpose. The product's final shape is substantially the same, but must have a surface that is continuous, though irregular, and a plurality of alveoli or hollows both in and on the product. Said final shape is obtained during fermentation of the yeast or expansion of the swelling agents; that is, during the following step, in which swelling and aeration take place.

The swelling and aeration step provides for keeping the molded product at a temperature between 20 and 40 °C, preferably between 30 and 35 °C, for a period of time of between 60 and 180 minutes, depending on the product. This step preferably includes a light initial

drying of the molded product's surface only, in order to lock said surface only into a configuration free of holes and discontinuities.

The product drying step follows. There are three known pasta drying methods, depending on the production lines used: -low-temperature (maximum temperature 65-70°C) -high-temperature (maximum temperature 80-85 °C) -very high-temperature (maximum temperature 90-95 °C).

All three aforementioned methods can be used to carry out the drying step according to the invention, which additionally requires an intermediate step in which the temperature used to treat the product is gradually increased to the drying temperature. In particular, the temperature is gradually increased from the temperature of the swelling step (e. g., 30-35 °C) to at least 55 °C over a period of time of not less than approximately 60 minutes.

Once the drying step is finished, the product is further treated, using well known methods, for any necessary seasoning, packaging, etc.