Editing Pasta (section)

==Processing==
{{Main|Pasta processing}}

===Fresh===
[[File:Pasta machine 2.jpg|thumb|A pasta machine in use]]
Ingredients to make pasta dough include semolina flour, egg, salt and water. Flour is first mounded on a flat surface and then a well in the pile of flour is created. Egg is then poured into the well and a fork is used to mix the egg and flour.<ref>{{cite web|title=How to Make Pasta Dough|url=http://allrecipes.com/howto/making-pasta-dough/|publisher=allrecipes|access-date=24 March 2012|archive-date=20 March 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120320092228/http://allrecipes.com/howto/making-pasta-dough|url-status=dead}}</ref> There are a variety of ways to shape the sheets of pasta depending on the type required. The most popular types include [[penne]], [[spaghetti]], and [[macaroni]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Fresh Pasta|url=http://allrecipes.com/HowTo/Fresh-Pasta/Detail.aspx|publisher=allrecipes|access-date=24 March 2012|archive-date=21 March 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120321030155/http://allrecipes.com/HowTo/Fresh-Pasta/Detail.aspx|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Kitchen pasta [[Machine|machines]], also called pasta makers, are popular with cooks who make large amounts of fresh pasta. The cook feeds sheets of pasta dough into the machine by hand and, by turning a [[Crank (mechanism)|hand crank]], [[Roll forming|rolls]] the pasta to thin it incrementally. On the final pass through the pasta machine, the pasta may be directed through a machine 'comb' to shape of the pasta as it emerges.

===Matrix and extrusion===
Semolina flour consists of a protein matrix with entrapped starch granules. Upon the addition of water, during mixing, intermolecular forces allow the protein to form a more ordered structure in preparation for cooking.<ref name="Sicignano">{{cite journal |doi=10.1002/jsfa.7176 |pmid=25783568 |title=From raw material to dish: Pasta quality step by step |journal=Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture |volume=95 |issue=13 |pages=2579–2587 |year=2015 |last1=Sicignano |first1=Angelo |last2=Di Monaco |first2=Rossella |last3=Masi |first3=Paolo |last4=Cavella |first4=Silvana|bibcode=2015JSFA...95.2579S }}</ref>

Durum wheat is ground into semolina flour which is sorted by optical scanners and cleaned.<ref name="wg">{{cite web |url=http://www.world-grain.com/Departments/Milling-Operations/2014/7/The-complexities-of-durum-milling.aspx?cck=1 |title=The complexities of durum milling |website=world-grain.com |publisher=Sosland Publishing Co. |date=2 July 2014 |access-date=15 December 2016 |archive-date=20 December 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161220142422/http://www.world-grain.com/Departments/Milling-Operations/2014/7/The-complexities-of-durum-milling.aspx?cck=1 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Pipes allow the flour to move to a mixing machine where it is mixed with warm water by rotating blades. When the mixture is of a lumpy consistency, the mixture is pressed into sheets or [[food extrusion|extruded]]. Varieties of pasta such as spaghetti and linguine are cut by rotating blades, while pasta such as penne and fusilli are extruded. The size and shape of the dies in the extruder through which the pasta is pushed determine the shape that results. The pasta is then dried at a high temperature.<ref name="Sissons-2008">{{Cite journal|last=Sissons|first=M|year=2008|title=Role of durum wheat composition on the quality of pasta and bread|journal=Food|volume=2 | issue = 2 |pages=75–90}}</ref>

===Factory-manufactured===
The ingredients to make dried pasta usually include water and semolina flour; egg for color and richness (in some types of pasta), and possibly vegetable juice (such as spinach, beet, tomato, carrot), herbs or spices for color and flavor. After mixing semolina flour with warm water the dough is kneaded mechanically until it becomes firm and dry. If pasta is to be flavored, eggs, vegetable juices, and herbs are added at this stage. The dough is then passed into the laminator to be flattened into sheets, then compressed by a vacuum mixer-machine to clear out air bubbles and excess water from the dough until the moisture content is reduced to 12%. Next, the dough is processed in a steamer to kill any bacteria it may contain.

The dough is then ready to be shaped into different types of pasta. Depending on the type of pasta to be made, the dough can either be cut or extruded through dies. The pasta is set in a drying tank under specific conditions of heat, moisture, and time depending on the type of pasta. The dried pasta is then packaged: Fresh pasta is sealed in a clear, airtight [[plastic container]] with a mixture of carbon dioxide and nitrogen that inhibits microbial growth and prolongs the product's shelf life; dried pastas are sealed in clear plastic or cardboard packages.<ref>{{cite web|title=How pasta is made|url=http://www.madehow.com/Volume-2/Pasta.html#b|publisher=made how|access-date=27 March 2012}}</ref>

===Gluten-free===
[[Gluten]], the protein found in grains such as wheat, rye, spelt, and barley, contributes to protein aggregation and firm texture of a normally cooked pasta. Gluten-free pasta is produced with wheat flour substitutes, such as vegetable powders, rice, corn, quinoa, amaranth, oats and buckwheat flours.<ref name="Gao et al 2017">{{cite journal |doi=10.1111/ijfs.13505 |title=Gluten-free bakery and pasta products: Prevalence and quality improvement |journal=International Journal of Food Science & Technology |volume=53|issue=1 |pages=19–32 |year=2018 |last1=Gao |first1=Yupeng |last2=Janes |first2=Marlene E |last3=Chaiya |first3=Busarawan |last4=Brennan |first4=Margaret A |last5=Brennan |first5=Charles S |last6=Prinyawiwatkul |first6=Witoon|doi-access=free |hdl=10182/10123 |hdl-access=free }}</ref> Other possible gluten-free pasta ingredients may include [[Colloid#Hydrocolloids|hydrocolloid]]s to improve cooking pasta with high heat resistance, [[xanthan gum]] to retain moisture during storage, or hydrothermally-treated [[polysaccharide]] mixtures to produce textures similar to those of wheat pasta.<ref name="Gao et al 2017"/><ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Padalino|first1=Lucia|last2=Conte|first2=Amalia|last3=Del Nobile|first3=Matteo Alessandro|date=9 December 2016|title=Overview on the General Approaches to Improve Gluten-Free Pasta and Bread|journal=Foods|volume=5|issue=4|page=87|doi=10.3390/foods5040087|issn=2304-8158|pmc=5302439|pmid=28231182|doi-access=free}}</ref>

===Storage===
The storage of pasta depends on its processing and extent of drying.<ref name=Sicignano/> Uncooked pasta is kept dry and can sit in the cupboard for a year if airtight and stored in a cool, dry area. Cooked pasta is stored in the refrigerator for a maximum of five days in an airtight container. Adding a couple teaspoons of oil helps keep the food from sticking to itself and the container. Cooked pasta may be frozen for up to two or three months. Should the pasta be dried completely, it can be placed back in the cupboard.<ref>{{cite web|title=Pasta Handling, Safety & Storage|url=http://www.recipetips.com/kitchen-tips/t--166/pasta-handling-safety-storage.asp|access-date=27 March 2012|author=Recipe Tips}}</ref>