
Does the KitchenAid make tubular noodles and spaghetti?
No question: the KitchenAid food processor is an ingenious helper. I dare say it's the best food processor in the world. I'm only sceptical about attachments such as the meat grinder, the ice cream maker or my test candidate, the tubular pasta attachment.
Making fresh tagliatelle is not rocket science. Sure, it takes time. But it's worth the effort. It's more difficult with other pasta shapes. Tubular pasta such as macaroni, penne or rigatoni is more complicated to make. The dough does not have to be rolled out, but pressed through a mould. This is usually done by huge industrial machines.
Challenge accepted! I'm testing the tubular pasta attachment for the KitchenAid.

The secret is in the dough
I prepare the dough for macaroni according to the instructions: one egg for 100 grams of flour. Even though you have bought the expensive food processor, you have to knead the dough with your hands. So you don't need to buy a KitchenAid to avoid this. Once the dough is nice and smooth, I put it in the top of the tubular pasta attachment. Level 2 is ideal, the instructions assure me. Nothing happens for a long time. The dough first has to wind its way through the auger to the lower end, which takes over a minute.

Then the first macaroni appears. The KitchenAid presses them out of the bottom end in slow motion. Using a thin steel string, I separate the first macaroni from it. They collapse immediately. The dough is apparently too moist for my experiment. So forget everything you've learnt about pasta dough. It needs to be much drier so that the tubular pasta keeps its shape. More flour and let the dough rest covered, then it will work. So I can say: the attachment works, but it takes ages. I therefore recommend that you start production the day before your guests are invited.
In addition to macaroni, I have tested other attachments: Spaghetti or fusilli also take a long time. Allow enough time for preparation and cleaning. A little tip for cleaning: Unscrew everything and let the dough residue dry first, it will then come off the surface more easily.

Practice makes perfect
I find the pasta attachment useless because I simply don't have the patience. If you allow enough time, practise a lot and for a long time and get the perfect dough, then go for it. There are also alternatives to this attachment from other manufacturers. The behaviour should be similar. I stick with the traditional pasta machine, which makes simple tagliatelle.
When I flew the family nest over 15 years ago, I suddenly had to cook for myself. But it wasn’t long until this necessity became a virtue. Today, rattling those pots and pans is a fundamental part of my life. I’m a true foodie and devour everything from junk food to star-awarded cuisine. Literally. I eat way too fast.