Barilla will present pasta made with a 3D printer at the Cibus 2016 International Food Exhibition in Parma May 9-12.
Barilla said it has been working on the project for four years in collaboration with the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO).
In 2015 a prototype was made with 3D printer technology that managed to produce fresh pasta in two minutes, using dough prepared with only durum wheat flour and water.
Thanks to this innovation, it will be possible to produce unique types of pasta characterised by shapes and geometric forms that can't be obtained through traditional pasta-making technologies.
At the end of 2014 the design contest "PrintEat! Your New Idea of Pasta", launched on the international online platform Thingarage, gathered new ideas for pasta shapes to make with the 3D printer.
From the more than 200 projects presented, a jury of experts awarded the winners: Rose, Luna and Vortipa; three shapes that can be made only through 3D-printer technology.
Making the pasta is very easy, said Fabrizio Cassotta, Barilla's Manager for Innovation, Ready Meals and Smart Food.
"You just load the dough cartridges into the machine and that's it," he said.
Barilla is evaluating other possible applications for this innovation.
In addition to domestic use, they are imagining actual restaurants where one would order customised plates of pasta from an Ipad, or fresh-pasta shops where one could pick up orders made online.
And what do chefs think? "3D pasta, in addition to being an excellent quality pasta - quick-cooking but also al dente - lends itself to the making of gourmet dishes," said Barilla chef Marcello Zaccaria.
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