COATED FOOD CONTAINING PASTE COMMODITY AND FILLING

The present invention relates to an alimentary product comprising pasta and a filling, in particular to an encapsulated and individually frozen alimentary product. The invention also relates to a method of making such an alimentary product.

Conventionally, lasagne are made from sheets of pasta which, cooked or un-cooked, raw or dehydrated, are layered with sauce between the layers, arranged in a baking tray. Depending on the size of the tray, each pasta layer may be constituted of one or more sheets of pasta abutting or slightly overlapping. Normally, the sauce is tomato, béchamel or cheese sauce, meat and tomato sauce or a combination thereof. The layered product is then baked in an oven.

Frozen lasagne are available as a ready meal. Such products are prepared in the tray in a conventional oven or by microwave heating in a microwave oven.

A continuous lasagne production process is disclosed in our European patent EP 0 643 915 B1. In this process, strands of pasta are continuously extruded and layered with sauce so as to form lasagne. The continuous strands of lasagne are subsequently cut into lasagne of suitable size. The lasagne may be inserted into trays which provide support for storage, freezing and re-heating or baking etc. Alternatively, the lasagne may be individually frozen and then packed.

In general, when a lasagne is made by layering pasta and sauce or other filling in a tray, the sauce or other filling constitutes the bottom layer of the lasagne. In the continuous production of lasagne the bottom layer of the lasagne is a pasta sheet. For certain cooking or heating methods this may be undesirable as the pasta may tend to adhere to the tray or surface on which it is heated or baked. Furthermore, cooking or heating of said bottom pasta sheet will differ from the heating or cooking of pasta sheets abutting sauce or other filling giving a harder texture of the bottom pasta sheet.

It has surprisingly been found that it may be possible to provide an alimentary product comprising pasta and a filling, e.g. a lasagne, with an edible coating and that this coating may limit the adhering of the pasta to a cooking surface such as a baking or cooking tray etc. For example, a sauce coated lasagne according to the invention, may provide an easy release product that does not stick to the cooking or baking tray in which it is heated or cooked.

Furthermore, it has been found that by providing an alimentary product comprising pasta and a filling, e.g. lasagne, the life of the product may be increased due to the preserving effect of the encapsulation. Thus, it has been found that the encapsulation may serve both the purpose of prolonging the life of the alimentary product and improve the cooking properties.

In addition, it has been observed that it may be possible to provide such an edible coating by immersing or dipping said product, e.g. a non baked lasagne, into a liquid coating base before freezing it. The immersing or dipping may be done without any substantial escape of the filling from the filling/pasta laminate of the lasagne.

Accordingly, the invention relates to an individually frozen alimentary product comprising pasta and a filling, said alimentary product includes an edible coating substantially encapsulating the pasta and filling, the coating being effective to reduce attachment between the alimentary product and a cooking surface.

The alimentary product comprising pasta and a filling are e.g. products such as lasagne, ravioli, tortellini, cannelloni etc. or other products wherein pasta and a filling is combined. For example, products wherein a filling is encapsulated in a pasta sheet or wherein the pasta forms an open casing for the filling or wherein the pasta sheets are layered with the filling.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention the edible coating is made from a liquid coating base. It is applied onto the product by immersing the product into the liquid coating. The liquid coating base is advantageously a sauce, preferably a sauce selected from the group consisting of cheese sauce and béchamel sauce with or without milk, tomato sauce and vegetable sauce, or a combination thereof. The sauce may or may not comprise pieces of meat, fish or vegetables etc. Other sauces are sauces based on meat or fish stock or gravy. Consequently, it is possible to provide an edible coating of a sauce which is conventionally used for pasta products such as lasagne and cannelloni. The advantages of the invention may therefore be obtained without changing the taste and the recipe of the pasta product.

Conveniently, the pasta in the alimentary product is blanched pasta. However, it is possible that the pasta may be raw or dehydrated. The cooking time of the lasagne may have to be adjusted accordingly.

Generally, an amount of 100 to 400 grams of liquid coating per kilo of the alimentary product is sufficient, with about 200 to 400 grams per kilo being preferred, more preferred 300 to 400 grams. For a 40 to 60 grams alimentary product the coating constitutes from 30 to 40% of the total weight of the product. It will be apparent that the amount of coating necessary for providing a suitable encapsulation will depend on the geometry of the product.

In order to obtain an appropriate adhering of the liquid coating base the viscosity thereof is preferably less than 2 cgr. Bostwick (60 sec at 15 DEG C). A preferred cheese sauce has a viscosity of 10 cgr Bostwick (60 sec at 60 DEG C). The freezing of the alimentary product fixes the coating.

Conveniently, the coating is from 0.5 to 5 mm thick, preferably from 1 to 3 mm thick. For certain embodiments of the invention it is preferred that the coating is 2 to 5 mm, more preferred 3 to 5 mm.

The method of providing an alimentary product according to the present invention may be particularly suitable for providing coated segments of alimentary products. Such coated segments of alimentary products may advantageously be prepared in accordance with the method of preparation described in our co-pending European patent application with the title "Alimentary Product With Pasta Layers" and filed on the same date as the present European patent application. The content of this co-pending European patent application is hereby incorporated by reference for disclosure of preferred ways of preparing meals from coated alimentary products according to the invention. For preparation in pan, such as is disclosed in this co-pending European patent application, the weight of the lasagne segment is preferably from 20 to 80 grams, preferably from 40 to 60 grams.

It may be desirable to provide the upper surface of the segments with a browning or gratin. For this, the upper layer of lasagne is e.g. coated with a cheese or cheese sauce and passed beneath a grill or another type of heating element. Instead of such an upper cheese sauce or as a compliment thereto, a grated cheese topping may be provided. Furthermore, colouring agents may be used to enhance the colour of the top surface of the lasagne.

In another aspect, the invention relates to a method of making an alimentary product comprising pasta and a filling, comprising the steps of providing an alimentary product comprising pasta and a filling, substantially encapsulating the pasta and the filling in an edible coating, the coating being effective to reduce attachment between the alimentary product and a cooking surface, and freezing of the alimentary product.

A particularly suitable way of providing the edible coating is by immersing the pasta with filling in a liquid coating base. This may advantageously be done by passing the product on a perforated conveyer through a batter applicator. It has been found that a conventional batter applicator may be used. The product may either be totally immersed in the liquid coating base or partly so while coating of the remaining part of the product may be done by spraying or sprinkling or by passing the product through a running film or curtain of the liquid coating base. Alternatively, the full coating may be done by spraying the liquid coating base onto the product, e.g. in a conventional spraying tunnel. Additionally, a thicker coating may be obtained by repeating the coating process.

In some instances it may be desirable that the pastas with the filling are individually frozen before the coating in the liquid coating base. If the product to be coated is frozen, a tumble coater may be used for the application of the edible coating.

A convenient way of continuously producing a layered alimentary product comprising pasta and a filling is described in our European patent EP 0 643 915.

In general, it is desirable that the pasta is blanched. This reduces the cooking time necessary for preparing the alimentary product for eating.

In order to improve the adhering of the liquid coating base to the pasta and filling it may be desirable to subject the pasta with filling to a dusting step before being coated with the edible coating. However, when blanched pasta is used such a dusting step may not be necessary. For the dusting of conventional products for such a use, e.g. flour, bread crumbs etc., may be applied. If dusting is used, a more low viscous coating may be used.

It has been found that the alimentary product as above described may advantageously be used for a method of preparing an alimentary product wherein a plurality of frozen alimentary products are arranged in a pan, a cooking liquid is added to the pan, and the alimentary products and the cooking liquid are heated. By arranging the individual segments of lasagne coating in accordance with the present invention, the segment may, after heating, form one unit of lasagne. The cooking liquid is e.g. water, bouillon, stock etc.

The invention will now be explained in further detail by example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings and the examples below, in which Fig. 1 is a side view principle drawing showing a production line for carrying out the steps of the method of producing lasagne according to the invention, and Fig. 2 is a top view of the same production line.

Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 show a line for producing a lasagne 1, according to the invention having three layers. The lowermost pasta sheets are blanched in a continuous blancher not shown in the drawings and forwarded on a cooling belt conveyor 3. The pasta sheet 2 is cut in to stripes with the width of the final lasagne portion 1 by rotating knives 4 removing surplus pasta 17. One of the pasta stripes is conveyed to a lower conveyor 5. A string of Bolognaise sauce 6 is extruded continuously lengthwise on the stripe by means of a filling nozzle 9 connected to filling pumps 7. The middle pasta stripe is conveyed via a cross conveyer 18 and onto the sauce while being passed over and under the calibrating rollers 8. On top of the middle pasta stripe another layer of sauce is extruded by a filling nozzle 6 and covered with the top pasta stripe. Also the middle and top pasta stripes are of the same width as the final lasagne portion 1. The lasagne are cut lengthwise, by means of a guillotine cutter 10 in desired portions.

The lasagne portions 1 are passed through a product handling zone 11 wherein they are spaced apart.

The portions 1 are passed on to a perforated conveyer 12 of a batter applicator 13 and the lasagne portions 1 are passed through a bath 14 of liquid coating base 15, in the present example through cheese sauce. While being passed through the bath 14 the lasagne portions 1 will be coated on the base 16 due to the perforation in the conveyor 12 and because the portions will float slightly in the liquid coating base 15. Consequently, a coating of liquid coating base is provided substantially encapsulating the lasagne 1.

If desired, the top of the lasagne segment is browned by passing the portions beneath a heating or grill element, not shown in the drawings. The lasagne portions 1 are then transferred to a freezing unit. Particularly suitable for this purpose is a surface contact freezer which may provide at least a freezing of a lower part of the lasagne portions.

The frozen lasagne are packed individually in conventional packing material. As the lasagne are frozen no supporting wrapping is needed. For example, flexible pouches e.g. of plastic are suitable.

The pasta, Bolognese and cheese sauces are as described in the examples below.

EXAMPLE 2 - Pasta

A suitable pasta dough may e.g. comprise 70 to 80% flour, 15 to 20% whole egg by weight and water. The flour preferably being semolina flour.

The pasta dough is mixed and passed through a kneader and sheeter and calibrated e.g. to a thickness of about 1,5 mm. The sheeted pasta is then preferably blanched.

EXAMPLE 3 - Cheese Sauce

Cheese sauce may be prepared from the following ingredients (by weight): Fat 6 to 8% Flour and starch 5 to 6% Milk powder 7 to 9% Cheese 4 to 8% Salt, pepper, spices and water.

EXAMPLE 4 - Sauce Bolognese

Bolognese sauce may be prepared in a conventional way by cooking beef, onion, tomato puré, tomato, cheese, carrots, celeriac and herbs together.

EXAMPLE 5 - Cooking

A 600 grams block of frozen lasagne encapsulated in a liquid coating agent in accordance with the invention is provided.

A conventionally 600 grams block of frozen lasagne without encapsulation is provided and a base constituted by a pasta sheet.

The two lasagne portions are positioned in two similar baking trays and heated in a conventional oven at 225 DEG C for about 40 min. The two lasagne portions are removed from the trays. The one which is coated in accordance with the invention can easily be removed from the tray without leaving any pasta sticking to the tray. The non-encapsulated lasagne sticks to the tray surface and leave pieces of lasagne thereon. The texture of the lowermost sheet of pasta of the non-encapsulated lasagne is harder than that of the encapsulated lasagne.