Cooking & Baking
Related: About this forumDoes anyone in here make their own pasta?
I want to get a pasta machine for my wife for Christmas.
Ive seen some on amazon, but I cant decide among them.
We have a Sur La Table in our neighborhood in case its something not available on Amazon.
Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
sinkingfeeling
(51,279 posts)used it a dozen times.
Adsos Letter
(19,459 posts)She loves to cook, but I dont want to get her something that is more trouble than its worth.
She has a Cuisinart. Perhaps I should look at attachments for that.
sinkingfeeling
(51,279 posts)find the right flour. Fresh pasta is delicious. There were only 2 of us to eat it and now it's just me.
If she has a Kitchenaid stand mixer, just get the attachment.
Mine is an electric machine that mixes the dough and then can be extruded into many shapes through metal dies.
Adsos Letter
(19,459 posts)Im thinking that a good Italian market or specialty store might make finding the proper flour easier.
Thank you for the advice on the Kitchenaid attachment. She has one of the large Kitchenaid mixers, so I will check an attachment for that. I think that she would enjoy the option of making a variety of shapes.
Buzz cook
(2,470 posts)The steps for making pasta are pretty straight forward. It does take a bit of time to get them to work right.
Maybe find a cooking school near by and buy here some lessons. Sur La Table does offer class including one in pasta making.
https://www.surlatable.com/category/cat2211278/In+Store+Classes
Major Nikon
(36,814 posts)So there's a couple of different ways to do it as you can go with either an extruder or rolling machine. Of the two methods I prefer the rolling machine.
Naturally you can just go with a hand crank rolling machine which is pretty cheap and generally consists of a flat pasta roller and various cutting blades for the types of pasta you want to make. Moving up from there you have machine driven models some of which attach to an existing motor like a Kitchenade mixer or some have their own dedicated motors. The motor driven models are nice unless you have two people doing it as it's so much easier to have one person do the cranking.
With either method you'll want a rack to store the pasta on as you make it as this works much better than trying to lay it out on the counter.
I never thought the results are that much better than using store bought dried pasta.
Adsos Letter
(19,459 posts)We took a trip to Italy back in September, and part of the experience was going to a private home and making homemade pasta and ravioli. We kneaded and rolled out the dough, and cut the noodles by hand. It was a lot of fun, and the results were delicious!
Perhaps I should reconsider. Im pretty sure part of the pleasure of it stemmed from being in someones private home in Rome. Maybe it wouldnt be as much fun at home in our kitchen.
Thanks again for taking the time to provide the information.
Major Nikon
(36,814 posts)Making pasta from scratch is kinda fun, especially if it's a team effort. I suggest you get a hand rolling kit and give it a try. You can get a cheap hand crank model for around $25. If you find yourself doing it all the time it might be worth getting a better one.
Ninga
(8,266 posts)There are 3 basic ways to make pasta.
Mix dough by hand, roll out by hand, and cut by hand. (Once was enough for me...too much work)
Then there is the little pasta attachment for KitchenAid stand mixers. The type that has cutters is the best IMO. There is an attachment that extrudes the dough into thin tube type pasta, but extruding alters the chemistry of the pasta and it loses its fresh flavor.
My pasta maker is 53 yrs old. It is a bit heftier than a current day Imperial Pasta Machine, but exactly the same.
Hope this helps.
Happy to answer any other questions.
Adsos Letter
(19,459 posts)We did the mix dough/roll out/cut by hand process on a trip to Rome in September (flat noodles and ravioli). It was a lot of work, as you noted (results were delicious).
Maybe I should try some innocent questioning to see how much we would actually use it.
Thanks again for taking the time to respond.
Lindsay
(3,276 posts)for polymer clay, not pasta. But the Marcato Atlas machines are supposed to be the best quality machines that are readily available for home use. (I went through several cheaper ones before I got my Atlas, and it's been a joy to use.)
Adsos Letter
(19,459 posts)The Mercato machines are the ones I have looked at so far. Sounds like the Atlas model(?) is the one to focus on.
Thank you for sharing your experience.
Adsos Letter
(19,459 posts)Youve all given me food for thought about the food.
procon
(15,805 posts)I use Durum Wheat Flour for my pasta because it holds up throughout the process as the machinery is not as gentle as the handmade pastas. I make just enough for the recipe and usually chill the dough and the finished pasta before cooking it. I don't keep pasta because I don't think fresh pasta tastes as good after a night in the fridge, but that's just my tastes.
The Kitchenaid makes several varieties, but I usually make the same 2-3 types all the time. Once you figure out how the gizmo works its a lot of fun and the fresh pasta is great.
Adsos Letter
(19,459 posts)I think I should do some subtle interrogating to find out how much we would actually use it.
The Durham Wheat Flour is a timely suggestion. I am diabetic, and wheat flour products are generally better for my blood sugar levels.
mitch96
(13,821 posts)That's what my Mom used back in the '50s.. It was a hand operated gizmo with a clamp arrangement to attach it to the work table. My Pops got it for her in Italy..I don't remember all the work (lots of flour in the kitchen!) but I do remember the delicious pasta. It just melted in your mouth and you were left with just wonderful flavor. She also made what she called Chinese noodles. Again melt in your mouth goodness...
m
Adsos Letter
(19,459 posts)Someone else also suggested a "hand operated gizmo." That sounds like a good way to start. If we find ourselves using it fairly often it might be worth spending for a nice machine.
Sounds like your mom was quite the cook. Good memories, I imagine.
mitch96
(13,821 posts)Yes she was.. Very plain, simple and delicious meals. She was a waitress all her life and picked up lots of ideas and techniques along the way...She is long gone and I wish I picked her brain a little more.. She was a depression era 20 something, knew how to stretch a food dollar and also make it taste good...
m
dem in texas
(2,672 posts)Donated to the thrift store. Sometimes you can get on kitchen gadget over-flow and some of the gadgets have to go. Besides, can buy fresh made pasta at the store. Still make my noodles from scratch. they are easier to make than pasta. I just roll out the dough and cut the noodles, let them dry while making the meal and then drop in the boiling water, not many steps. No getting a gadget out of the cabinet then then having to put away.
Fix The Stupid
(947 posts)1) never use water! 5 room temp. eggs to 2 cups of flour. Yes, that's it. The best pasta.
2) never use water! - Again, the temptation will be there to reduce the # of eggs and just make up the difference with water, which leads us to point# 3...
3) never use water!
If you use water, the pasta just tastes bland.
You can sub an egg or 2 with Olive oil, but even then...not the same.
It is super easy. All we have is a $20 table mounted roller. That thing has made MANY batches and still works flawlessly.
Yes, it is more work, but the payoff is worth it. There simply is no substitute.
wryter2000
(46,016 posts)How many eggs for 1 cup of flour? I guess I could use 2 plus a yolk.
hibbing
(10,076 posts)I make the dough in the food processor, it just comes together nicely in there real quick. It is a learning process. My tips, be sure to let the dough rest for at least a half hour. The other, be sure you run it through the rollers, fold, run and so on until you get a nice consistency. One thing that I enjoy is making the dough at the thinnest setting and making a really "light" lasagna. It is so delicate, yum.
Peace