Abstract: An apparatus for rinsing extruded pasta product in a container to remove surface starch from the pasta. The apparatus includes a conveyor on which containers holding a portioned amount of extruded pasta product are conveyed upright in single file, a manifold for introducing hot rinse water into the containers, and a rotary draining unit in which the water-filled containers are first inverted to drain off the rinse water and are then returned to an upright position for transfer to additional processing operations such as sauce filling, container sealing, retorting and cooling. A stationary slide plate is provided between the conveyor and the rotary draining unit, and reciprocating arms are mounted adjacent the slide plate to move the water-filled containers from the conveyor across the slide plate and into the rotary draining unit. The rotary draining unit includes a pair of horizontally extending support surface mounted equidistant from and parallel to a central shaft around which the support surfaces rotate.