# KitchenAid Pasta Press



## forty_caliber (Jul 26, 2010)

I recently acquired the Pasta Press attachment for my KA.  KitchenAid Stand Mixer Pasta Press Attachment | Williams-Sonoma

I've used it a couple of times and while I have been able to get a usable pasta out, it turns out rubbery when cooked?

Anyone else have one of these gadgets?  Success stories?  Compatible dough recipe?

.40


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## Alix (Jul 26, 2010)

Can you post your dough recipe? There are lots on the site here that work well. I can help you find links.


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## forty_caliber (Jul 26, 2010)

I tried the following one most recently.....

Egg Pasta
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Serving Size: 6
Yield: 1 pound

Ingredients:

2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3 eggs
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon lukewarm water

Directions:

Stand Mixer:
Place the eggs, salt, oil and water into the mixer bowl.  Beat well.

Add the flour slowly.  Using the dough hook continue mixing until the dough is smooth and elastic.

Cover with a bowl or towel and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes.


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## Chef Munky (Jul 26, 2010)

Sounds like the dough was kneaded a little too much. I've been using the KA's recipe from the book and have been happy with it. I knead it about 5 minutes. And stop at the point where it's sticky, but not feel wet. If it needs an additional flour dusting, it won't be too much. 
It seems to work in my favor if the flour and beaten eggs are used at room temp. Keep a sifter with a 1/2 cup of AP flour handy. Make it up the night before to keep it pliable enough for raviolis.

You can also add Semolina flour to the AP. Half and half.

Welcome to DC! 

Munky.


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## forty_caliber (Jul 26, 2010)

I'll see about getting some 00 cake flour or Semolina from the grocery.  Thanks for the advice.


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## ChefJune (Jul 27, 2010)

fortyc, is that the pasta extruder?  I haven't used the KA one, but the one I did, gave me tough pasta, no matter what recipe or flour I used.  Did not like it at the end of the day. 

OTOH, my Imperia, hand crank pasta roller, I get great pasta every time.  Just not round.


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## Alix (Jul 27, 2010)

Ditto what ChefJune said about the hand crank pasta machine. Mine makes lovely tender pasta every time with basically the same recipe you posted. 

I'm guessing over working the dough is the culprit too. Good luck fixing it up.


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## zfranca (Sep 7, 2010)

What kind of pasta (shape) are you trying to make?


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## forty_caliber (Sep 7, 2010)

I've only tried it twice.  1st time was hollow spaghetti.  2nd time was ziti. 

The hollow spaghetti was actually almost edible.  The ziti was terrible.  Mrs .40 has suggested that I leave it in the box for now.

.40


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## zfranca (Sep 7, 2010)

Mrs. 40 is a very wise woman. May be you should listen to her.
From my book:
*-------Pasta-------*


Dry pasta and fresh pasta, what’s the difference?

Dry pasta is commercially made in the shapes of Spaghetti, Penne, Farfalle, Tortiglioni, Maccheroni, ziti, bucatini (hollow spaghetti) etc. and it is usually made with durum semolina flour, and practically impossible to make at home, as it requires specific heavy machines. Italian brands are usually sold in boxes of 500 grams (17.5 oz). What supports this pasta is the sauce that you put on top. The sauce is the main and most important element.

Dry egg pasta is also commercially and satisfactorily available or it can be made at home. It is usually sold as “tagliatelle all’uovo” (egg noodles).

Fresh egg pasta is essential to the making of Ravioli, (tortelli, tortelloni, tortellini, agnolotti, anolini, cappelletti, panzerotti, casoncelli, etc. They all belong to the ravioli family. They get their names from specific regions of Italy). In my hometown of Brescia, ravioli are called _Casoncelli_; in Liguria they are called _Panzerotti_, in Emilia Romagna they are called _Anolini._ 

It doesn’t really matter what you call them, the stuffing is the important part, and most ravioli are simply topped with melted butter. You go to a lot of trouble to stuff these little things. You certainly don’t want to conceal the taste under a heavy sauce. 
Ravioli are the best way to use leftovers (I will never get tired of saying it). They are a little time consuming, but with what you save in ingredients, you will quickly recover the cost of the pasta machine. When making ravioli, it is worth your time to make as many as your filling will allow. Any left over egg pasta can be used to make noodles. I find ravioli making therapeutic.


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## zfranca (Sep 18, 2010)

Here is my recipe:
Egg pasta

*(Basic recipe)*
*Ingredients**:*
*2* cups                         white flour
3                      medium eggs
1                      TBS olive oil
¼ tsp               salt (optional)
¼ cup              extra flour for working the dough.
 
*Directions**:*
Put all ingredients into the food processor in the order given and process quickly until a ball forms (about 30 seconds), and it clings away cleanly from the sides of the container.
 
If it appears to be sticky, remove the top and sprinkle one tablespoon of flour. Process briefly until it clings away from the sides. If it appears too dry and does not form a ball, you may need to add a little water, a tablespoon at a time. You should not need more than one or two tablespoons of water, or one or two tablespoons of flour. Wrap in plastic and store in the refrigerator until needed. If you plan to use it right away, let it rest for fifteen minutes covered with a kitchen towel.

*Note: *Do not knead the pasta, contrary to bread, egg pasta works better if it is a rather stiff mass. It will be easier to handle after the gluten has relaxed. You can freeze unused pasta, it will get slightly darker in color, but nothing to worry about, it’s just the oxidation process.


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## zfranca (Sep 19, 2010)

forty_caliber.
I don't know why it did not come to my mind to tell you that the pasta you were trying to make does not require eggs. Just flour and water.
Add enough water to the flour to make a stiff dough.


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## forty_caliber (Sep 19, 2010)

Thanks for the recipe!  I'll try it out.

.40


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## zfranca (Sep 21, 2010)

This has nothing to do with making pasta. I think you would enjoy reading this chapter from my cookbook:

*Son of a Gun!*​ 
Photo of the Colt Single Action--Ivory and gold work, by Joseph​ 

The two-year lease was approaching the end. We both knew that we would face the inevitable rent-raise. We started looking around for another suitable building. There was a wonderful old French country style three-story house located on the other side of the avenue, just a block off. We always admired it every time we went by it, and thought of it as the most wonderful place to put the restaurant.

One bright and windy day, Joseph and I were walking to Stecks IGA Grocers to buy the necessities for that night’s dinner reservations. A _For Sale_ sign was stuck in the still brown half-frozen lawn. We cut across the street, up to the sidewalk to the house of 1421 Rumsey Avenue. The door to the antique shop located there was unlocked. We went in and saw Mrs. Smith, the owner, busy packing boxes. I had shopped at her place a few times, and she knew who we were.

Joseph asked directly how much was the price; she told him.
Then he asked if she would sell on a contract. She was a petite elderly woman with snow-white short hair and bright blue eyes. She looked directly at us with a very warm smile and said:
“I am retiring from the business and this house will provide me with a monthly income, I think you two are the perfect people to sell it to.”

She proposed a 10,000 dollars down, and 800 dollars per month. I remained silent. I knew we did not have the cash available, but I could see from the way Joseph was carrying on the conversation that he had a plan. “Son of a gun, what is he up to?” I thought to myself.

Joseph asked permission to look around. He had at one time in his life built houses; he knew what to look for. The house had many wonderful hidden features: maple floors masked under cheap carpets, high ceilings covered by drop down plastic panels, charming fireplace, a large entry foyer, a roomy kitchen, and comfortable space for dining. I could not believe this was happening.

On the way to the grocery store, Joseph told me that he was planning to sell a pistol he had inlaid with gold in commemoration of the Wyoming Centennial that was coming up next year. I was so busy running the restaurant that I had not even seen it.

When we returned home, he showed it to me. It was so beautiful that it astounded me; tears came down my face. I knew that the steel of the single action Colt must have been quite hard and difficult to undercut, yet the work was extremely fine and the design quite delicate. I just looked at him and uttered “Thank you.” We signed the papers on the house. I continued to run the restaurant while Joseph worked daily for over two months on the new house.

When all was ready, we moved everything out of one location into the other, and contracted a building-mover to pick up Joseph’s studio and place it on the trailer for the very short drive down the street. The studio was placed just outside my kitchen side door, in the back yard, overlooking the alley. Again Joseph’s views were the garbage cans. 

“One day you will have a real view, I promise,” I said. That was our third move on Rumsey Ave. Even the little house we had rented when we first moved to Cody was located at 920 Rumsey Ave. Every move got us closer to the supermarket; that was the good part. The bad part was that every move got Joseph a worse outlook, not very inspiring for an artist of his _caliber._ I intended to keep my promise.

With the charm of the new location, the restaurant flourished, prospered, and received top ratings. The wine-list grew from the initial selection of seven to120 selections and received the “Award of Excellence” from the_ Wine Spectator. _All the labors were worth it. Passion is never a wasted effort.


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## magdelinewest (Dec 18, 2010)

Search for pasta guy on youtube. He has great tips and recipes for pasta. It's definitely your recipe, not the mixer.


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