How do I get rid of excess flour on my dried pasta shapes?
I dried some cavatelli I made with egg dough (I know it's usually made with AP, semolina and water but I was improvising), however, I had to add some excess flour around the shapes to prevent them from sticking during the drying process. I'm reluctant to cook them with the flour stuck to them so as to prevent the dreaded gummy layer from forming on the outside of the pasta. Should I wash the shapes when they're dried? What's the best course of action? Thanks.
Best Answer
Brush the flour off using a soft cooking brush (or even a clean paintbrush). It might take a while, but as with making pasta itself, it's a slow and involved process which eventually gets faster. You might want to consider doing this over a baking sheet with a wire rack.
Pictures about "How do I get rid of excess flour on my dried pasta shapes?"
How do you get rid of extra flour?
Once frozen you can store them in freezer bags. This will allow you to use less flour in the first place, but, in the event that you've used too much, once frozen, you could get rid of some of the excess flour by shaking them in a strainer just before you put them in boiling water.What can I do with ruined pasta dough?
If the dough is too wet, add more flour. If the dough gets messed up, scrunch it together and reroll it. Pasta dough can always be salvaged, even if you think the dough is fighting you. Boxed, dry pasta is made with semolina flour, but for fresh pasta, all-purpose flour works just fine.Why is flour sprinkled over the cut noodles?
They expand at least double in the water when you boil them! If they are too big they will look like snakes and be a mouthful. Sprinkle flour on top of the rolled out dough before you cut the noodles. This will keep them from sticking right back together as soon as you go on to the next cut.Can you over flour pasta?
Depending on the type of pasta desired, over-worked pasta can bring about a finished result that may not be to the cook's desired taste. Cooks should also keep in mind that kneading pasta can be done with different types of equipment and not just by hand, therefore increasing the chances of the pasta being over-worked.How to Make 29 Handmade Pasta Shapes With 4 Types of Dough | Handcrafted | Bon Appétit
More answers regarding how do I get rid of excess flour on my dried pasta shapes?
Answer 2
I would not wash them up!!!
Since it is not a fragile pasta shape, I'd put them on a baking sheet (or a bowl) and shake them, the friction and collision with the other pasta will rub off the excess flour.
You could also use a colander or a sieve.
I'm not certain why you needed to add up more flour when you dried them up?
Answer 3
Rather than drying, you might consider freezing your hand made pasta. You can freeze them flat on a semolina or flour dusted plate or pan. Once frozen you can store them in freezer bags. This will allow you to use less flour in the first place, but, in the event that you've used too much, once frozen, you could get rid of some of the excess flour by shaking them in a strainer just before you put them in boiling water.
Answer 4
I'd do with a mix of what's already been mentioned: let it dry, then put it on a sheet pan or strainer and shake to see what you can get off that way (strainer will help more with surface flour, but not the stuff in groves). If it's still bad, use a pastry brush or similar.
And one other possibility to help with the "gumminess" ... when you're ready to cook it, give it a rinse in a couple of changes of cold water (but it needs to be really dry for this, so it just washes off the loose flour), and you need to get it into boiling water immediately afterwards
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Klaus Nielsen, Klaus Nielsen, Klaus Nielsen, Klaus Nielsen