Raw Material 
Pasta is made from a mixture of water and semolina flour. Semolina is a coarse-ground flour from the heart, or endosperm, of durum wheat, an amber-colored high protein hard wheat that is grown specifically for the manufacture of pasta. With a lower starch content and a higher protein content than all-purpose flours, semolina flour is easily digested. Farina, rougher granulations of other high-quality hard wheat, is also used to make
water
Salt,
 
some pastas. he semolina and farina flour are enriched  with !-"itamins and iron before they are shipped to pasta plants. #ggs are sometimes added to the mixture for color or richness. Federal guidelines stipulate that egg noodles contain a minimum of $.$% egg solids. &egetable 'uices, such as spinach, beet, tomato, and carrot, can also be added for color and taste. (n recent years, the addition of herbs and spices such as garlic, basil, and thyme has  become popular.
However, new technology in pasta manufacturing now
enables finer semolina to be used, allowing for longer
tempering periods.
Grinding is done on break rolls, sizing rolls and reduction
rolls. Separation is done using machines called sifters and
purifiers. A durum mill has an extended break system in
which grinding is relatively gradual. The endosperm is
released in coarse granular form rather than as flour. The
grading, purifying and sizing systems are more extensive in
a durum mill, but the reduction system is very small
compared to that of a flour mill.
Semolina
characteristics for semolina include good colour, minimum
dark or bran specks and uniform granulation. Small
amounts of fine semolina and flour are produced. These
are often combined with normal semolina to produce
 
long and short pasta types.
 
to )$*,*** pounds +,)** kg. Pipes mo"e the flour to a mixing machine equipped with rotating  blades. Warm water is also piped into the mixing machine. he mixture is kneaded to a lumpy consistency.
 Flavoring and coloring • / #ggs are added to the mixture if the product is an
egg noodle. (f pasta is to be a fla"ored "ariety,  "egetable 'uices are added here. 0 tomato or beet mixture is added for red pasta, spinach for green pasta, carrots for orange pasta. 1erbs and spices can also be folded in for additional fla"oring.
 Rolling • 2 he mixture mo"es to a laminator where it is
pressed into sheets by large cylinders. 0 "acuum mixer-machine further flattens the dough while pressing air bubbles and excess water from the dough to reach the optimum water content of )/%.
 Pasteurization • 3 he roll of dough mo"es through a steamer, which
heats the dough to //*4F +)*345 in order to kill any existing bacteria.
Cutting • $ 6epending on the type of noodle to be produced, the
dough is either cut or pushed through dies. 7ibbon and string-style pasta8such as fettucine, linguine, spaghetti, and capellini +angel hair8are cut by rotating blades. o make tube or shell-shaped pasta such as rigatoni, 9iti, elbow 
 
 
are dropped by machine at pre-measured inter"als on a sheet of pasta. 0nother sheet of pasta is placed o"er this sheet as it mo"es along a con"eyer  belt. he two layers then pass under a cutting machine that perforates the pasta into pre- measured squares.
• An extremely important feature of pasta is the richness
and variety of its shapes. Even though all pasta is
produced with the same raw materials, each shape, in
a certain sense, has its own personality: as regards,
for instance, the type of sauce that best goes with it;
or the way of using it, with meat or vegetable stock, or
drained and served with sauces of every kind. Pasta
shapes stimulate culinary creativity because they are
themselves the outcome of a creative process. The
countless shapes of pasta are the basis for thousands
of possible recipes, each one different and
characteristic. And this distinctive element of pasta is
mainly created by just one object:the die.
• A dieis a basic component of a press: the dough,
formed in the kneading tank and then driven by the
extrusion screw towards the head of the press, is
forced through the die. A die is composed of a main
support, normally made of bronze. This support is
drilled with special techniques and each hole is made
to house a drawing insert. The shape and type of
insert determines the final shape of the pasta. The
dough is pressed through the insert, which provides
the basic structure of the pasta (tube, hollow, sprial).
Behind the die there is often an additional structure
that bends, folds or cuts the pasta to form the final
• The classic material for the insert is bronze, which is
still entirely used to make traditional dies. Dies made
entirely of bronze have the feature of giving the
surface of the pasta a minutely jagged and porous
appearance, with highlights making it look white: this
is a direct consequence of the nature of the material
used for the die since the surface of bronze is never
perfectly smooth.
 Drying • he pasta is placed in a drying tank in which heat,
moisture, and drying time are strictly regulated. he drying period differs for the "arious types of pasta. (t can range from three hours for elbow macaroni and egg noodles to as much as )/ hours for spaghetti. he drying time is critical because if the pasta is dried too quickly it will break and if it is dried too slowly, the chance for spoilage increases. he oxygen le"el in the tank is also regulated, and lab technicians test frequently for salmonella and other bacteria. 5areful handling of the pasta during the drying period is also crucial. Spaghetti is the most fragile of the noodles and is therefore hung high abo"e the floor.
 Packaging • : Fresh pasta is folded in pre-measured amounts into
clear plastic containers. 0s the containers mo"e along a con"eyer belt, a plastic sheet co"ers each container and is sealed with a hot press. 0t the same time, a small tube sucks the air of the container and replaces it with a mixture of carbon dioxide and nitrogen to prolong the product;s shelf-life. <abels listing the type of noodle, nutritional information, cooking instructions, and expiration date are attached to the top of the
 
containers. 6ried pasta is loaded, either manually or by machine, into stainless steel buckets +usually of hea"y gauge type 2*3 which mo"e along a con"eyer belt to the appropriate packaging station. he pasta is measured by machine into pre-printed  boxes, which also list the type of noodle, ingredients, preparation, and expiration date.  0gain, careful handling is important. For example,  because lasagna noodles are particularly fragile,  workers place them on metal slides that ease the pasta into boxes. he boxes are then sealed by machine. 5on"eying system can be constructed in =S,= =5,= or =>= configurations, or as hori9ontal con"eyer belts. hese systems mo"e the pasta up and down and across the plant at heights up to )* feet +2 m. Workers at the floor-le"el stations monitor the packaging process. he mechanism allows for workers to package the pasta manually if  necessary.
?uality 5ontrol
he manufacturing of pasta is sub'ect to strict federal regulations for food production. Federal inspectors schedule regular "isits to insure that the company is adhering to go"errnment laws. (n addition, each company sets its own standards for quality, some of  which are set in practice before the pasta reaches the plant. <ab technicians test the semolina flour for color, texture, and purity before it is remo"ed from rail cars. Protein and moisture content are measured and monitored on sophisticated quality control computer software. (n the plant, technicians constantly test the pasta for elasticity, texture, taste, and tolerance to o"ercooking. Plant workers are required to wear haimets and plastic
 
glo"es. @ixing machines are scrupulously cleaned after each batch of pasta passes through them. he drying process is strictly monitored to guard against spoilage.
Homemade Pasta he popularity of pasta has spread to the home-cooking arena. Pasta-rolling machines and pasta cookbooks are a"ailable at house-wares stores and in cooks; catalogs. he recipe for homemade pasta is similar to the industrial process with the exception that eggs are generally used in all home pasta recipes. Sometimes oil is added to the mixture, particularly if a lesser grade of flour is used. he flour is measured out onto a wooden or marble surface and formed into a mound with a well in the center. #ggs, water, oil and any other desired ingredients are poured into the well and mixed lightly  with a fork. hen, beginning from the outside of the mound, the flour is incorporated into the center. he dough is kneaded for approximately fi"e minutes until a smooth, elastic ball is achie"ed. 7olling the dough into sheets is done with a long (talian-style rolling pin or with a rolling machine. @ost rolling machines ha"e attachments for cutting the dough into  "arious forms of pasta such as spaghetti, fettucine, lasagna, or ra"ioli. he dough can also be cut by hand using a sharp knife or rolling blade. Specially marked rolling pins that imprint squares on the dough or ra"ioli trays can be used for making stuffed pasta. #xtrusion machines for making tube-style pasta such as rigatoni or fusilli can also be purchased for home use.
 
are paying more attention to their dietary intake. (n addition, people are finding less time to prepare meals, and pasta is easily made. Pasta manufacturers are responding to this demand by introducing a wide "ariety of dried and fresh pastas. Cne recent inno"ation is no-boil pasta that is partially cooked at the plant, making this already easy-to- prepare food e"en simpler to bring to the table at mealtime. Aew lines of fat- and cholesterol-free ra"ioli are on the market as well as organically-grown pasta products. wo new grains, South 0merican quinoa and #gyptian kamut, are being used to make wheat-free pasta.
 Where To Learn More
 Books !ugialli, Duiliano. Bugialli on Pasta. Simon and Schuster, )B. oussaint-Samat, @aguelonne. A History of Food. +ranslated from the French by 0nthea !ell. !lackwell Publishers, )BB/.
 Periodicals !annon, <isa. =(talians 6o Still #at Codles of Aoodles, !ut rend (s <imp.= Wall Street Journal, @ay )*, )BB3, p. 0l. =What (s PastaE= !orden, (nc., )BB3. =5ustom-@anufactured Pasta.= Food Engineering, anuary )BB), p. :). Diese, ames. =PastaG Aew wists on an Cld Product.=
 Food Technology, February )BB/, p. ))-/. @c@ath, 7obert. =Pasta;s Aew World Crder.= Adweeks
 !arketing Week, Ao"ember /$, )BB), p. / 8 !ary F. !c"ulty