Do you need eggs for extruded pasta dough?
I'm wanting to make pasta using my KitchenAid pasta press. Many recipes I see use eggs, but some use only water. I'm thinking using so many eggs would get expensive if I do this regularly, so I'm wondering what benefit they add? Can they be partially or fully replaced with water?
Best Answer
The original pasta recipes of old were simply wheat and water. Eggs or oil (the two most popular "water substitutes" in pasta recipes) are not at all necessary to make pasta dough, but they will have an impact on how the dough turns out.
Now, it's hard to give a firm "this is the best way to do it" answer, because everyone has their own preferences on pasta doughs, but you will tend to find that egg-based pastas are a litte more "creamy" than water-based ones. In my experience, they work fairly well for rolling and cutting, but seem to be a little to "sticky" when extruding. When I've tried it, the dough has had some issues with sticking to the various extruder plates, causing the pasta to tear.
Now, I have not tried it myself, but I've heard that water-based pasta doughs to much better with extruders/presses, because you can control that "stickiness" a little better and make a slightly drier dough, which comes out much more smoothly. I've been meaning to try it myself, but have not gotten around to it yet (I really love the flavor of egg pastas, so I tend to just make those and cut them, instead :) ).
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Does pasta dough need eggs?
Assembling Your Pasta-Making Equipment If you have pasta-making experience and you're looking for a good workout, all you really need is flour, eggs, and a rolling pin. (Actually, you don't even need a rolling pin if you're going for pastas like pici, orecchiette, capunti, and other hand-shaped or hand-rolled doughs.)What can you replace eggs with in pasta?
Olive oil brings a delicious rich flavor to the pasta and also replaces the fat in egg yolks. The fat content in 1 tbsp of olive oil is the equivalent of about 3 whole eggs. Once you've replaced those starches and fat it's time to think of the texture of the dough.Does traditional pasta use eggs?
Pasta from north Italy is often made with soft wheat flour (all-purpose or type 00), which grows primarily in the northern regions. Since soft wheat flour is low in protein, the addition of eggs is required to bind the dough together, resulting in silky, golden sheets of pasta.When making pasta do you only use egg yolks?
We use whole eggs in our pasta for general purpose use. For a richer flavour, silky smooth texture and more vibrant colour, use only egg yolks or a combination of whole eggs and yolks (2 yolks for 1 whole egg).What Kind Of Flour To Use For Extruded Pasta?
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Answer 2
For everyday pasta, use your recipes that call for only water and save your eggs for special occasions.
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