pasta
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MIT 3D-printed the shape-shifting future of pasta
A new research project from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Tangible Media Group combines 3D printing, molecular gastronomy and macaroni. According to MIT News, researchers Wen Wang and Lining Yao have engineered flat sheets of gelatin and starch into shape-shifting noodles that react and fold when exposed to water. While Yao's goal of one day creating a self-folding dumpling is still out of reach for now, the research team thinks their breakthrough could help reduce food shipping costs and lead to new trends in fine dining.
Barilla uses 3D printing to find its next pasta shapes
Pasta maker Barilla is no stranger to having 3D printing improve its methods for churning out products for the masses. Now, it's looking to leverage those tools for some new pasta designs. After a recent competition, the company revealed three winners who created new shapes with 3D-printed models. One winner, Rosa, blooms into a full rose when it's placed in boiling water. Two other designs include a conical vortex shape and a circular moon, complete with craters to "improve the interaction between pasta and sauces." What's more, Barilla says it may work the leading design into future products. Earlier this year, the company announced plans to research restaurant-grade printers for made-to-order custom shapes too, so alternatives to the traditional options could be on the way soon. Swapping out penne for blooming rose pasta should certainly spice up your next romantic evening in.
"Marco" pasta is a good match for mushroom sauce, litigation
NeoGAFfer Chittagong found this bag of pasta in a Citymarket in Finland. The package is sending a very clear message, and that message is "It's-a not quite me, Maaaario!" Apparently when Mario and Luigi took off on their Mushroom Kingdom adventure, Mario's less-famous identical brother Marco stuck around and devoted his time to making delicious dried pastas. Either that or some unscrupulous company has shamelessly ripped off Mario's likeness. We'll leave it up to you to determine which is more likely-- that this is the work of an unknown relative of a fictional character or of real-world jerks. Hey, maybe Marco will show up in Good Smash Friends Battle for the Nintenco Wuu!
