A pasta extruder is a kitchen appliance that produces pasta shapes such as wagon wheels, macaroni, and spaghetti. Pasta extruders come in a variety of sizes, ranging from small home models to large industrial pasta machines used by pasta manufacturers to produce large quantities of pasta. This specialty item can sometimes be found in kitchen supply stores, and a pasta extruder, along with dies for making various desired shapes, can also be purchased from a pasta supplier.
A pasta extruder’s design can vary, but it usually consists of a chamber for pasta dough that is connected to a housing for a die, which is a piece of metal that has been cut into a specific shape to produce the desired pasta shape. The user forces the dough through the chamber and out the die with a lever or crank, forming the desired shape. Depending on the dies available, the pasta extruder can make hollow shapes like macaroni, fantastic and complex shapes like rotelle, or round pasta like spaghetti.
A pasta extruder is required if you want to make certain pasta shapes at home. Others can be made with a little trickery and cheating, but the process is time-consuming and frustrating. You might be able to find a pasta extruder that comes with a pasta machine and allows you to make flat pasta like lasagna, linguine, and fettuccine in some cases. A pasta extruder usually comes with recipes for various doughs, as well as serving suggestions.
Once pasta shapes have been created with a pasta extruder, they can either be dried for later use or eaten right away. If you plan to eat the shapes within a few days, lightly dust them with flour to prevent sticking and store them in the refrigerator; they can also be frozen for up to six months, depending on the dough you used. Some doughs are better suited to fresh pasta than others, yielding a rich, distinct flavor, while others are better suited to drying.
There is some debate in the pasta community about the best material for dies. Bronze dies, for example, are revered by some, who claim that they produce the best pasta. Others argue that any metal will suffice, and some even use plastic dies. In any case, many pasta fans agree that durum wheat flour is the best flour for pasta dough because it gives pasta strength and resilience, allowing it to withstand the cooking process.