How to get dried dough out of a pasta maker?

[alanbarnes]

The caption says it all. A little bit of dough (well, maybe more than a little) ended up **inside** my Imperia 150. It's dried out now, and by rolling and shaking the machine vigorously I was able to get out most of the chunks. But I can still hear a couple of pieces rattling around inside, and don't want them to emerge in the middle of a batch of fettuccine.

It's evident that the manufacturer did not intend for the end-user to disassemble this machine, and reassembly would presumably be a challenge. On the other hand, there doesn't seem to be any other way to get rid of these little nuggets of moldy dough.

Ideas?

[Gio]

Alan, here's a link to a CH post I replied to because I was interested in the subject. The CH took his pasta machine apart and put it back together. Perhaps it will give you an idea.

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/7188...

[seiun]

Purchase a metal brush.

[alanbarnes]

So how exactly can I use a metal brush to get dried dough out of a pasta machine?

[seiun]

Take your metal brush. Use it to clean out your pasta maker. It's pretty simple and obvious.

[alanbarnes]

"Simple and obvious" indeed. The dried dough is inside the pasta maker. The metal brush would only be useful if the machine were completely disassembled. Of course, if the machine were completely disassembled, the dough would fall out and there would be no need for a metal brush. Thanks for the helpful suggestion, though.

[Zeldog]

Well, if the little chunks are rattling around, they are dessicated and harmless, not moldy, and if they don't come out when you make pasta, there doesn't seem to be a problem other than the rattling. I suggest you try not to think about it (and don't ever shake the pasta maker). I know it's not easy -- I'm tempted to go into the kitchen and shake mine, but I don't want to know. And if I do and there's something in there, it's your fault.

[AndrewK512]

Agreed, mine has a bunch of pieces rattling around too, they haven't ever made their way onto the pasta.

[Quine]

Since you tried fresh dough already, maybe there is a use for that icky white bread you can by in grocery stores. Try running slices of that?

[ferret]

Usually running a batch of fresh dough will capture the little loose bits.

[alanbarnes]

Tried that, to no avail. Maybe if I hold it upside down while cranking?

[ferret]

In my experience the dough bits tend to occur in the cutter area, did you run the fresh batch through there? If you aren't getting anything more out, at least you know it's not interfering with normal function.

[alanbarnes]

The cutter is clean and detached. The dough got sucked back up into the roller because it wasn't floured enough, and the dried bits are in the main body. It functions normally, but I just don't like the notion of nasty bits of food hanging around the inside of the machine, waiting to attach themselves to an unsuspecting noodle.

[c oliver]

Do your daughter a favor and get the KA attachment for your stand mixer. Stop making her crank by hand :)