If you’re a pasta lover, the KitchenAid Pasta Roller might be high on your list as it is one of the best picks out there. The appliance allows you to make fresh, homemade pasta effortlessly and achieve excellent results.
To achieve the best results, you will need to know how to work your way around the Pasta Roller Settings Chart. This chart helps you adjust the thickness of your pasta dough to create the perfect texture and consistency.
In this guide, we will provide a breakdown of the KitchenAid Pasta Roller Settings Chart, explaining each setting type, how they work, and how to tweak these settings for optimal pasta-making.
The Kitchenaid Pasta Roller Settings Chart
The KitchenAid Pasta Roller Settings Chart consists of a numbered dial or lever that controls the thickness of the pasta dough. The settings range from 1 to 8, with 1 being the thickest setting and 8 being the thinnest.
- Setting 1: This setting is used for the initial kneading and rolling of the dough. It produces a thick sheet of dough, which is perfect for making stuffed pasta like ravioli or tortellini. The dough at this setting is firm and less flexible, making it easier to handle during the early stages of pasta preparation.
- Settings 2-3: These settings gradually decrease the thickness of the dough, resulting in a medium-thick sheet. It is commonly used for classic pasta shapes such as fettuccine, pappardelle, and tagliatelle. The dough at these settings has a balanced texture, not too thick and not too thin, making it great for various pasta dishes.
- Settings 4-6: These settings further reduce the thickness of the dough, creating a thin sheet. Thin sheets are perfect for delicate pasta shapes like linguine and spaghetti. They can also be used for lasagna or cannelloni, where multiple layers of pasta are required.
- Settings 7-8: These settings produce the thinnest pasta sheets, suitable for dishes like angel hair pasta and delicate filled pastas. The dough at these settings is extremely thin and requires gentle handling to avoid tearing.
Best Kitchenaid Pasta Roller Settings for Different Types of Pasta
As a pasta lover, you will find that tweaking these settings would help you in achieving consistency with excellent results. If you’re still not sure on how to go about the setting chart, below is a KitchenAid Pasta Roller Settings Chart for different types of pasta. We have provided various examples to help you get a hang of it in a minute or two.
- Classic Fettuccine: For classic fettuccine pasta, the recommended setting on the KitchenAid Pasta Roller would be between 3 and 4. These settings will result in a medium-thick pasta sheet that holds up well when cooked. It provides the ideal balance between thickness and tenderness, allowing the fettuccine to absorb sauces while retaining its shape.
- Delicate Angel Hair Pasta: if you’re going for delicate angel hair pasta, you will want to use the thinnest settings on the Pasta Roller, typically between 7 and 8. Going for these settings will results in an ultra-thin pasta sheet that cooks quickly and has a delicate, silky texture. When choosing these settings, ensure you handle the dough with care, as it is more fragile at these settings.
- Stuffed Ravioli or Tortellini: When making stuffed pasta like ravioli or tortellini, you need a thicker pasta sheet to hold the filling without tearing. Setting 1 on the KitchenAid Pasta Roller is perfect for this purpose. It produces a thick and sturdy dough sheet that can be easily manipulated and sealed around the filling.
- Lasagna or Cannelloni: If you’re making lasagna or cannelloni, you will want a pasta sheet that is not too thick or too thin. The recommended settings range from 4 to 6 on the Pasta Roller. With these settings, you will be looking forward to a moderately thin pasta sheet that can be layered or rolled easily without becoming too fragile.
- Delicate Stuffed Pasta like Agnolotti: For delicate stuffed pasta like agnolotti, where a thin pasta layer is required to showcase the filling, settings 6 to 7 on the Pasta Roller work well. When you go for these settings, you can produce a thin and pliable dough sheet that allows the filling to shine through while maintaining its structural integrity during cooking.
While these general guidelines would work very well for most people, you can always tweak them to suit your personal preference. You might want to try out different settings until you’re able to get what works for you.
Conclusion
Knowing how the KitchenAid Pasta Roller Settings Chart works is important if you want to achieve the perfect consistency and thickness of your pasta dough. This would help you in making adjustments, so you can customize your pasta to suit your taste preferences.
