A partnership shaping the soul of pasta

Speaking and mastering pasta

Pasta, a simple yet beloved dish, holds extraordinary power to unlock memories, evoke emotions, foster conviviality and uphold tradition. But where does this deep connection to pasta originate? The soul of pasta lies in its ability to connect people through shared experiences and cherished traditions. It's the warmth of a family meal, the artistry of diverse shapes and the authenticity of high-quality ingredients that define this true nature of pasta. 

The soul of pasta also encompasses the passion, knowledge and expertise in processing technologies that allow pasta experts to evolve the foodstuff to meet contemporary tastes and dietary needs while maintaining its integrity. This includes experimenting with new ingredients, such as gluten-free flours and high-protein alternatives, to please a diverse range of consumers worldwide. This blend of innovation and tradition is exemplified by the cooperation between Barilla and GEA, who continuously push the boundaries of pasta production through effective collaboration based on mutual trust, shared expertise and passion.

“It’s crucial that we carry on working closely with our key suppliers. This allows us to keep the quality of pasta constantly aligned with our standards” says Angelo Ambrosecchia, Industrialization Americas, Associate Director, Barilla America.

“At GEA, we can count on 80 years of experience in pasta manufacturing technology,” says Antonio Milani, Sales Manager GEA Extruded Food Technologies, “and Barilla has even been involved in the pasta industry since 1877. It’s safe to say we both speak pasta.” 

Scalable solution

GEA understands the need to efficiently make pasta on a large scale but also knows that pasta manufacturers must be able to explore new avenues if they are to stay competitive. GEA provides its industrial customers with industrial lines and also with customized pilot plants where their products can be thoroughly tested before upscaling. “A key milestone in our partnership was installing a previous long-cut pasta line,” says Azam Owasi, CEO of GEA North America. “Our close working relationship, marked by mutual trust and passionate commitment, also led to developing this pilot line for producing gluten-free and semolina pasta.” 

Over the past 20 years, GEA has supplied and installed several lines of processing equipment for Barilla plants in the Americas and Italy.

The need for speed

The latest state-of-the-art pilot plantwas engineered in close collaboration with GEA experts and Barilla’s project team. “Using the R&D line, Barilla can test new shapes and new ingredients and experiment with process parameters,” explains Milani. “Temperature, humidity, and drying times can easily be monitored and adjusted on the line. But what is also very important here is that every innovation can easily be scaled up to an industrial level, because the R&D unit is actually a replica of the industrial line.” 

Julia Greg-Albers, Vice President RDQ of Barilla America, affirms the GEA scale-up concept. “It gives the developers on my team the ability to test and learn in a small-scale environment before we reach the scale-up stage,” she says. “In the product development process here at Barilla, this is a strong support to improve our speed to market.”

Exploring fresh ideas

High-quality raw materials are always the basis of a good pasta, and they’re an absolute must. “But nowadays, new demands from niche markets prompt pasta manufacturers to explore fresh ideas and experiment with shapes, colors and ingredients,” says Milani. “Besides traditional flour, we use other types of flour, with or without gluten, and make high-protein pasta with unconventional gluten-free ingredients like corn, rice and lentils. Our job is to understand our customers’ needs and make it possible for them to create the pasta they dream of delivering to the market.”

Deep understanding of pasta production

GEA combines many years of experience and a deep understanding of pasta production with the ability to deliver the technology necessary to make high-quality pasta. This is especially clear in the mixing system, which makes it easier manage the dough and versatility to produce the pasta that consumers want. But it’s not only a dough solution providing the magic. “We patented our mixing and extrusion technology under vacuum, and we’ve been optimizing it for decades now,” adds Milani. “You could say we know the secret of turning high-quality raw materials into exquisite dry pasta.”

Revealing secrets

But what is the secret to producing excellent pasta on a large scale? “It’s in the way the lines are engineered,” Milani suggests. “At every stage of pasta production, we make sure the parameters are set exactly as they should be so the pasta has the desired shape, texture, color and taste.” Flour and water are premixed and mixed under vacuum. This significantly helps to form the gluten network and guarantees the quality of the pasta. Inside a barrel, a screw pushes the dough through the die. Both extrusion speed and temperature are important at this stage to avoid stressing the product. It is then formed and shaped in a press. Finally, the moisture content is carefully reduced from 30% to 12% during the drying phase. “The way we handle this phase is unique in the market,” Milani says. “It substantially impacts the quality of the product.” 

Energizing collaboration

For Milani, the proof is not only in the successful result but also in what it represents. “Pasta is an ancient product. It’s at the heart of Italy’s rich culinary culture, but there’s still so much to learn,” Milani says. “Working with a customer like Barilla is very energizing. They have very high standards, and that motivates us to raise the bar even more. We feel appreciated for our efforts to truly understand their goals and overcome problems along the way.”

That spirit of partnership is echoed by Barilla. “Working with a company that understands your objectives makes life a whole lot easier,” says Dustin Moffit, Production Manager at Barilla. But beyond ease, it’s about creating something enduring. Together, Barilla and GEA are shaping how a food with thousands of years of history continues to feed the world – with the same quality, authenticity and passion that make pasta timeless.