Many of us love pasta. Who doesn’t? Although there is always confusion about whether pasta is originally from Italy or China, this doesn’t matter. People around the world cannot seem to get enough of this delicious noodle. While most people go to restaurants to eat their favorite spaghetti or fettuccine, some prefer to make their own at home.
Preparing your own pasta has certain perks. One is that it enables you to choose your ingredients, allowing you to offer a healthier food option for you and your family. Now, if you are into or thinking of making your pasta at home, you will surely love the KitchenAid Pasta Excellent Attachment set KPEX. Find out more about this amazing kitchen tool below.
The KitchenAid KPEX Pasta Excellent Attachment Set
Be ready to fall in love with the KitchenAid Pasta Excellent Attachment set KPEX. It has six different chrome-plated attachments that are all compatible with any KitchenAid Stand Mixer. The attachment set consists of a pasta roller, capellini cutter, lasagnette cutter, fettuccine cutter, spaghetti cutter, and ravioli maker.
- Pasta Sheet Roller – made from commercial-style stainless steel, this kitchen tool can roll out pasta dough into thin sheets that can then be cut using the KitchenAid pasta cutters. It has eight thickness settings which can make different styles of pasta. The first and second settings are used to knead and form the initial sheet of dough. Settings three and four are for thick Kluski and egg noodles, respectively. Setting five is used for lasagna, ravioli, spaghetti, and fettuccine; settings six and seven are for thin pasta noodles like thin fettuccine, fine linguini, and tortellini while setting eight is for ultra-thin angel hair pasta noodle and capellini.
- Capellini Cutter – this KitchenAid pasta attachment can slice sheets of dough into ultra-thin angel-hair pasta, perfect your capellini recipes.
- Spaghetti Cutter – this KitchenAid pasta attachment cuts pasta sheets into round noodles.
- Lasagnette Cutter – this cutter allows users to cut sheets into thick and wide pasta noodles.
- Fettuccini Cutter – this attachment creates thin pasta strips ideal for fettuccini and wide egg noodles.
- Ravioli Maker – this attachment makes perfectly formed sheets of ravioli squares that can be cooked immediately or frozen for later use. It is done with a folded sheet of pasta dough rolled through the pasta roller attachment and sent through the ravioli maker.
The pieces of the KitchenAid Pasta Excellent Attachment Set KPEX set are all made from durable material, allowing them to withstand frequent use. Each piece also works perfectly with any KitchenAid Stand Mixer model. However, it is essential that users follow the right way of using them, like not immersing them in water or putting them in the dishwasher. These items must be hand washed and cleaned using the cleaning brush included when you purchase this set.
When cleaning the Pasta Sheet Roller and the Pasta Cutter Attachments, To ensure the long-life of the attachments, allow them to dry for one hour. Then, using the cleaning brush, remove the dried dough leftovers. You can try hand-tapping or use a toothpick if it’s difficult to remove the dirt with the cleaning brush alone. Never use pointed or sharp objects, like a knife, to remove excess dough. Lubricate the gears using a little food-grade mineral oil annually or after every 50 or more uses. Polish the attachments with a soft, dry cloth and store them in a dry place at room temperature.
How To Use The Pasta Sheet Roller And Pasta Cutters
- Prepare the pasta dough by cutting it into pieces, around 1cm thick. Then, slightly flatten each piece.
- Pull the knob straight out of the Pasta Sheet Roller and turn it to setting 1.
- Release the knob. Make sure that the knob fits flush to the roller housing.
- Set your KitchenAid Stand Mixer speed to 2 or 4. Then, feed the flattened piece of dough into the rollers to knead. Once done, fold the dough in half and feed it again into the roller. Repeat the folding and kneading process a few more times until the dough is smooth and pliable.
- Sprinkle a little flour on your pasta while rolling and cutting to make it easier in drying and separation.
- Do steps four and five to the remaining pieces of dough.
- Turn the knob and set the setting to number 2. Next, place the dough through the rollers to flatten it further.
- Change the settings to 3, and feed the dough through the rollers again. Continue this process, increasing the roller setting until you get the desired dough thickness.
- For angel-hair or thick egg noodles, use the Pasta Cutter Attachment. Then, feed the flattened sheets of pasta dough through the cutter.
Pro-Tips:
- A good pasta dough is firm and leather but also pliable. To ensure that you have the right texture and consistency, pinch a small amount of the dough after mixing with the flat beater. If the dough stays together but does not stick to your fingers, then your pasta dough is good to go. If it sticks to your fingers or crumbles apart, then it’s not perfect yet. Add a little flour or water to get the right dough consistency.
- Cut the sheets of rolled pasta into halves before you cut them into fettuccine to linguine fine as they can become quite lengthy and difficult to manage.
- You can cook your pasta right away after cutting or keep it dry or frozen for future use.
- For dried pasta, keep them in an airtight container and put them in the refrigerator.
- To freeze pasta, let it dry for over one hour, place in an airtight container, then put in the freezer. Dust pasta with flour, no need to separate the strands.
Conclusion
The KitchenAid Pasta Excellent Attachment Set KPEX is certainly the best kitchen partner for those who want to make their pasta from scratch in the comfort of their homes. It doesn’t only make the job easier for home chefs, and it also allows them to prepare delectable dishes for the whole family. Learn more about KitchenAid appliances here!