Posted on 22nd Aug 2012 @ 12:06 PM

From Fantes:

How to prepare pasta dough.

This base mixture is suitable for all the recipes contained on this page.

To obtain about 1-1/8 lb of pasta, you need 12-1/4 oz (about 2 cups) of all-purpose flour (Italy: Type 00, Germany: Type 405), and 2 large whole eggs.

Place the flour on a worktop and make a hole in the middle and put the eggs in.

Beat the eggs with a fork and gently mix in the flour from the sides. Mix until the dough becomes uniform.

Sprinkle flour on the worktop and start kneading the pasta.

Important:  If the pasta is too dry or crumbly, spray with a little lukewarm water. 

When the required texture has been obtained, form a ball and leave to rest in a bowl for a short while. Cover the dough to prevent it from drying.

Colored Pasta

Green - With spinach. Boil the spinach and squeeze all the water out when it is cooked. Then mash into a puree. The proportions should be 1-1/8 lb of flour to 8-3/4 oz spinach.

Red - With tomato puree. Cook the puree in a saucepan, with a little salt and pepper. Calculate one tablespoon of puree for every 3-1/2 oz of flour.

Other Colors  - You may add squid ink, beetroot, saffron, cocoa, etc... Bear in mind that some of these ingredients produce more moisture, therefore it will be necessary to add more flour.

How to prepare the Imperia for first use.

1) Fasten the machine to a table or counter, using the special clamp provided. It fits in the square hole on the same side where you insert the handle. Be sure to tighten the clamp before starting.

2) To clean the machine of packing oils, put a small ball of dough between the rollers and roll it through; make a ball and run it through again several times.

3) Do the same with the ball of dough and the cutting rollers.

4) Dispose of the dough.

Using the Imperia. 1) Turn the adjustment knob until the flat rollers are at their widest opening. 2) Start passing part of the dough through the rollers, turning the handle as illustrated at left. 3) Before passing the pasta through the rollers another time, fold the sheet in two and sprinkle lightly with flour. 4) Pass the pasta through the widest opening 6 to 8 times, folding it in two each time. The dough should be fairly soft. If it is too sticky, sprinkle lightly with flour. 5) Reduce the spacing between the rollers by one notch. Pass the sheet of dough through the rollers once. 6) Continue reducing the space between the rollers by one notch at a time, each time passing the lengthening sheet of dough through the rollers once. Stop once the desired thickness has been obtained. 7) When the sheet of dough gets too long, divide it lengthwise in half, to make it easier to handle. 8) Leave the sheet to rest for about 10 minutes, so that it will dry slightly and be hard enough for cutting, without sticking to the cutting rollers. 9) Attach the cutter accessory to the body. Supports are provided on both sides of the machine. 10) Insert the handle in the slot of the chosen cutter. 11) Lightly sprinkle flour on the sheet, to prevent it from sticking to the cutter. Then start passing it through, turning the handle with one hand, while holding the sheet with the other. 12) Place the cut pasta on a large surface, or on a drying rack, so that it dries before cooking.

Cleaning.

Clean excess flour left on the Imperia and its attachments, using a soft brush.

A dry cloth may be used to wipe the body.

NEVER wash your Imperia and accessories. Some of the precision components are made of steel and may rust if they come in contact with water.

Occasionally place a drop or two of mineral oil where the ends of the rollers meet the machine body, to keep them rolling smoothly.

Store in the original box, in a dry location. Use it often.