Use and Care Guide

5
CLEANING AND
MAINTENANCE
1. Remove the ring nut manually, or
with the wrench if it is fastened
too tightly.
2. Remove the pasta plate and feed
screw.
3. Allow dough on the pasta plates
to dry before removing it with the
cleaning tool.
4. Wash ring nut in warm soapy
water. Do not put the ring nut in
the dishwasher. All other parts
can be washed in warm soapy
water and are top rack
dishwasher-safe.
TIPS AND HINTS
• It is essential to stir the flour
before you measure it. Do not
scoop it right out of the bag.
• The key to making fresh pasta is
to have the right feel of the dough.
It is important that the dough is
not too moist or too dry. The
dough should be pliable and
come together in one ball yet
should not be sticky to the touch.
• Pasta dough is too dry if it feels
floury and small granules of flour
mix are evident. If dough is too
dry add warm water 1 teaspoon
at a time until desired texture is
achieved.
• The humidity of the day can greatly
affect the pasta dough. If the day
is very humid, watch and feel the
dough when you are finished
kneading. If it is still sticky, knead
in one tablespoon of flour at a time
until the stickiness disappears.
• The main differences between
dried pasta and fresh pasta are
the ingredients, cooking time, and
texture. Dried pasta dough is
mainly made of semolina flour,
water, and salt. Dried pasta takes
at least twice as long as fresh to
cook.
• Fresh pasta has a softer, more
delicate texture, making it more
absorbent and more suitable for
lighter sauces such as tomato,
olive oil, cream or butter. Dried
pasta has a firmer, denser texture
that holds up to heartier, meatier,
and heavy sauces.
• 1½ pounds of fresh pasta make
4 ample adult portions.
• It may be necessary to experiment
with the fresh egg pasta recipe
a few times to get the feel of the
dough and the pasta making
process.
• Dough pieces should be no larger
than a grape (no more than ¾ inch
around) when placed into the
pasta maker.
• The pasta maker should not be
stuffed. Add dough pieces one a
time and watch to see them clear
the scroll. Should a piece get
stuck, gently nudge lodged dough
piece with the back of the wrench.
• The dough may come out curly
in the first batch. The dough
should straighten in the second
batch. Any curled pasta can
be reprocessed.
• Separate pasta as soon as it is cut
from the pasta maker. Toss freshly
extruded pasta with cornmeal to
prevent sticking. Pile cornmeal-