3D-printed pasta

A piece of candy made in a 3D food printer displayed at the 2014 International CES, Jan 9, 2014 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The candy was printed in the ChefJet Pro 3D food printer made by 3D Systems. - AFP

Italian food giant and Dutch researchers working on technology for rapid production of custom-designed pasta shapes.

ONCE, not so very long ago, the pasta of Italian dreams was kneaded, rolled and shaped by hand in the kitchen. Now, though, the world’s leading pasta producer is perfecting a very different kind of technique – using 3D printers.