Abstract: A process for the production of a nest-shaped food product containing strips of a dried vegetable, preferably a garden vegetable, storable at room temperature for at least 7 days is disclosed. The process involves providing at least one fresh vegetable which has been previously washed, cutting the vegetable into strips, feeding the vegetable strips in metered amounts into a perforated mold, subjecting the strips to a stabilization heat treatment by means of saturated steam, drying the thermally stabilized strips by means of a flow of hot air so as to obtain a nest containing dried strips of vegetable with a moisture content of between 8% and 16% by weight of their total weight. The invention also concerns a nest-shaped food product which is obtained by means of the process and which may optionally contain strips of durum wheat semolina pasta.

Abstract: A process for the production of a nest-shaped food product containing strips of a dried vegetable, preferably a garden vegetable, storable at room temperature for at least 7 days is disclosed. The process involves providing at least one fresh vegetable which has been previously washed, cutting the vegetable into strips, feeding the vegetable strips in metered amounts into a perforated mold, subjecting the strips to a stabilization heat treatment by means of saturated steam, drying the thermally stabilized strips by means of a flow of hot air so as to obtain a nest containing dried strips of vegetable with a moisture content of between 8% and 16% by weight of their total weight. The invention also concerns a nest-shaped food product which is obtained by means of the process and which may optionally contain strips of durum wheat semolina pasta.

Abstract: A method for producing a frozen risotto or alike ready-to-eat dish based on rice, barley, wheat or spelt. For risotto the steps include, adding to rice the necessary liquid and particulate ingredients and cooking all the above ingredients up to desired cooking degree, rapidly cooling the thus prepared risotto and feeding it into a dosing apparatus, which forms sphere-like portions of a predetermined weight or volume, which are subjected to ultra-fast freezing and then packaged.

Abstract: The present invention regards a microwave oven (1) of the type having a height lower than width comprising a cooking chamber (3) having a support surface (12) for a food product, a microwave source (8) and means (10) for sending the microwaves from said source (8) into the cooking chamber (3), characterised in that said support surface is formed by a dielectric material having a dielectric constant ?? in the range of 1-9 and a loss factor ?? less than 0.01 at the frequency of 2450 MHz. The present invention also regards an apparatus (30) for preparing ready-to-eat meals comprising a pasta cooker and a microwave oven (1) of the aforesaid type.

Abstract: A method is disclosed in which fresh alimentary pasta is prepared from a starting dough that has been acidified with an edible acid. The pasta is then dried to a moisture content of about 11%, cooked in salted water, strained, rinsed, dipped in an aqueous solution of an edible acid to achieve a pH no more than 4.1, metered into suitable packages and subjected to sanitization.

Abstract: Method for the production of discrete pieces of frozen food products of fluid consistency, which comprises the steps of nebulizing water or a saline aqueous solution on a freezing surface to form a thin and even ice layer on such surface; depositing a fluid food product on the ice layer; freezing the product and optionally partitioning the frozen product obtained into discrete pieces by means of a cutting phase.

Abstract: A method for producing a frozen risotto or alike ready-to-eat dish based on rice, barley, wheat or spelt. For risotto the steps include, adding to rice the necessary liquid and particulate ingredients and cooking all the above ingredients up to desired cooking degree, rapidly cooling the thus prepared risotto and feeding it into a dosing apparatus, which forms sphere-like portions of a predetermined weight or volume, which are subjected to ultra-fast freezing and then packaged.

Abstract: A method is disclosed in which fresh alimentary pasta is prepared from a starting dough that has been acidified with an edible acid. The pasta is then dried to a moisture content of about 11%, cooked in salted water, strained, rinsed, dipped in an aqueous solution of an edible acid to achieve a pH no more than 4.1, metered into suitable packages and subjected to sanitization.

Abstract: A machine for thermally treating and sterilizing pre-packaged food articles using microwaves, which is of a type comprising a treatment tunnel having inlet and outlet ports, a conveyor laid longitudinally of the tunnel interior between the ports to convey food article packages laid into parallel rows, at least one microwave generator having microwave radiators arranged to face the rows of packages, further comprises at least one microwave resonance chamber associated with at least one radiator as an extension thereof and extending at one of the rows, through a chamber wall facing the conveyor there being formed a plurality of slots. The machines enables selective heating of the rows of pre-packaged food articles to make the temperature inside the treatment tunnel uniform.