Italian pasta reaches space. For astronauts, Barilla's fusilli and meals by Giovanni Rana for pre-flight prep

Any activity in space involves meticulous preparation. Even a "terrestrial" daily routine like eating a plate of pasta turns into a significant technological challenge. In the absence of gravity, eating and perceiving flavours become a different experience. A bold project will see Italian food take centre stage in space.

Italian Food in Space

The press conference introducing the Italian Space Food Project, which brings Italian cuisine in outer space, took place at the Italian Embassy in Washington. The upcoming Axiom 3 mission is headed for the International Space Station. The project, in collaboration with the Italian Air Force, aims to support the candidacy of Italian cuisine as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.

Francesco Lollobrigida, the Minister of Agriculture, stated, "This mission aims to further enhance the candidacy of Italian Cuisine as a UNESCO World Heritage. Our food will reach space. This is a step we began by launching the candidacy on the most beautiful ship in the world, the Amerigo Vespucci, and worldwide, we will divulge through our cuisine what Italy has to offer."

The launch is scheduled for January 10, 2024. The crew of the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft, including Colonel Walter Villadei of the Italian Air Force, will savour Italian food both during the 14 days of pre-departure quarantine, with menus prepared for the occasion by Rana, and in orbit, thanks to specially created products by Barilla.

The meal programme

The Rana Group was chosen to prepare meals for the crew of the space mission composed of personnel coming from Italy, Spain, Sweden, and Turkey during the preparatory period, a strategic phase before the launch. The Rana Pasta brabd has embraced this significant challenge, combining the expertise of its researchers and food techs with the experience of the Michelin-starred Famiglia Rana Restaurant, awarded in 2022. This resulted in a menu that represents the perfect synthesis of these two closely interconnected businesses. Five meals are planned every day during the pre-flight period and throughout its duration: breakfast, lunch, and dinner, along with two snacks in mid-morning and mid-afternoon.

"We are thrilled to have participated in the Italian Space Food Project, which allows us to continue our mission of spreading with great pride the excellence and Italian gastronomic experience worldwide and beyond," commented Giovanni Rana Jr., Innovation Manager of the Rana Group. But what will the astronauts eat in space?

Three kilos of fusilli by Barilla

Often in space missions, food preparation doesn't involve cooking, and even pasta must adapt. For this reason, Barilla has devised pre-cooked and stabilised fusilli capable of retaining the taste of an iconic Italian dish. An extreme tasting experience for the crew involved during the journey in a number of sensory experiments, including testing the pasta's al dente texture. The Barilla Research and Development team worked on a traditional and simple recipe: pasta, extra virgin olive oil, and sea salt. The creation process of the "space fusilli" was perfected to ensure that the pasta remains al dente, offering that pleasant resistance to the bite. The product has been treated only with heat, so it can be safely stored for a long time at room temperature without the addition of preservatives or additives. "Being part of this space mission fills us with pride and allows us to explore a new frontier of nutrition, giving astronauts the feeling of being at home," comments Paolo Barilla, vice president of the Barilla Group, a company that has been producing pasta for more than 140 years.

No timer needed to remember to drain the pasta. Just an exciting countdown.