Pasta Press Tips

Pasta is Curling or Slow Extrusion

• Long noodles and macaroni tend to curl in different directions as they extrude through the plate. The first 10" (25.0 cm) of curled noodles may be pulled off and returned to the hopper to be extruded again.
• Pasta will extrude slowly at first, then faster as more dough is extruded.

Drying and Separating

• Separate pasta immediately after extrusion.
  • Lay a group of noodles on a towel placed on a flat surface and pull them apart from the drier ends of strands.
  • Dry in a single layer.
• Homemade pasta behaves differently than store-purchased pasta. Because long noodles bend as they dry and are more fragile, they require gentle handling before cooking.

Dough too wet/dry

• If your fusilli "droops,"  the dough is too wet and cannot hold its shape. Add a little flour to the dough.
• If the dough is too dry, it will not go through the press.  Add a little water to soften it.

Pasta dough is gray

Use the wrench/stomper to guide the pasta into the pasta press, opening gently.  Pressing too hard can cause the dough to become wedged in the press and cause friction, which can turn the dough gray. Finger-tighten the plate and secure the ring on the press. Do not overtighten, as this can also lead to gray streaks in the dough.

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