Apparatus and methods for fabricating food items include extruding a first hot plastic food mass through multiple passages (14) and co-extruding a second hot plastic food mass through a feed stem (22) received in each of the multiple passages (14) and through nozzles (42). Each nozzle (42) includes a first portion (42b) in communication with the feed stem (22) but not the passage (14) and a second portion (42a) in communication with the passage (16) but not the feed stem (22). The nozzles (42) are rotatable in gearing relation with the drive gear (70) of a servomotor (72). The co-extruded ropes are conveyed at a linear speed rate less than or equal to the discharge speed from the nozzles (42), cooled, and cut into individual pieces in the form of peelably separable strands.