Topic: Pasta machines

[supersprout]

s_c, I just came across some nicely written instructions with lots of pics that show the Imperia at work:
http://www.downsizer.net/Projects/Processing_Food/Home_Made_Pasta/
There's a receep for nettle pasta there too! :D

[Squashmad]

Supersprout....after reading your post on making fresh pasta I was longing to take my pasta machine out of retirement....might do so at the weekend, because we now have a good sized farmhouse style table in the kitchen...and I have lots of free range eggs from a local farm to use...not to mention ricotta in the fridge and chard at the allotment... I can feel a project coming on!! :D

[supersprout]

Ohhh that sounds idyllic Squashmad, especially imagining the farmhouse table covered in flour and sheets of fresh egg pasta. Sounds like a darned good project to me!

[Mrs Ava]

Blonde question.  Can you make fresh home made pasta without eggs?

[Lady of the Land]

My son age 12 made some pasta last week using pasta machine from Debenhams - I asked him to wait until I could help him as I was making the meatballs and sauce to go with it ( this had to cook for 1 1/2 hrs)

I had intended to have this part ready for when he came home from school. However got call at 2.30pm to say 1 of our 4 sheds had blown over amongst another 7 at the allotment so ended going down to rescue things from it and tie it down with a rope so it did not blow any further until we could get it back up and secure it.

Being very impatient (like his mother). He got the recipe, had made it and was putting it through the pasta machine before I really realised. I occassionally got a call to help him to hang the pasta up - I used a clothes airer. I was very impressed, I had only made it once before myself and not particularly well.

[manicscousers]

sounds like a chef in the making  ;D

[Curryandchips]

Blonde question.  Can you make fresh home made pasta without eggs?

The simple answer is yes, but you should consider the effort.

http://www.ochef.com/15.htm

Type 'pasta without eggs' into google and you will get lots more info.

Please tell us how you get on !!! (not that I prefer pasta without eggs, but am interested)

Derek :)

[Hyacinth]

Mine's a stainless steel Atlas Marcato - still going strong after 30+years....and still using the same paint brush to clean it with too 8)

[supersprout]

Blonde question.  Can you make fresh home made pasta without eggs?

Yes. It will be like Japanese noodles (udon, soba etc.). If I can find a receep I'll dig it out, otherwise just mix flour and water until it becomes a dough, and work through the machine as for fresh egg pasta. A lot more brittle when dry, though - best used fresh IMO :)

[Squashmad]

Ohhh that sounds idyllic Squashmad, especially imagining the farmhouse table covered in flour and sheets of fresh egg pasta. Sounds like a darned good project to me!

...thanks SS ... I really should take a new photo of the kitchen showing the farmhouse table too... ideally with project... for my avatar.

[sally_cinnamon]

I took my broken pasta machine back today and it was only the same lad on the till that had taken the last one off me!  And he recognised me too!  Typical.  I asked if many other people had returned them and he said "No.  Just YOU".  Ooops! ::)

[Baccy Man]

Blonde question.  Can you make fresh home made pasta without eggs?

Yes. It will be like Japanese noodles (udon, soba etc.). If I can find a receep I'll dig it out, otherwise just mix flour and water until it becomes a dough, and work through the machine as for fresh egg pasta. A lot more brittle when dry, though - best used fresh IMO :)

That all depends on the flour you use if you use flour containg at least 50% durum wheat semolina (or just the semolina) then pasta made using just water will give a pleasant tasting pasta which can be dried & stored for considerably longer than an egg pasta. Don't try using the more common fine semolina it is made from soft wheat not hard wheat so it absorbs much more moisture whilst making the dough which drastically affects the taste & texture.
If you have probems locating durum wheat semolina it may be labelled as coarse semolina or you can get it online here;
http://www.simplyspice.co.uk/semolina-coarse-p-604.html
or this site offers both ready blended pasta flour or the semolina seperately;
http://shop.fratellicamisa.co.uk/category489842347.html

If you fancy something a little bit different then try using 100% buckwheat flour it will give the pasta a nutty flavour, it is also gluten free so is suitable for people with Coeliac's. Coincidentally this is what's often used to make Japanese soba noodles.

[supersprout]

An italian deli down the road sells the coarse semolina baccyman, I'll give that a whirl.
Do you make your own soba? :)

[Baccy Man]

I have made my own soba noodles, I have a C&G diploma in professional cookery so I can turn my hand to most things. Although I don't eat soba that often I do think it always tastes better fresh.
100% semolina will produce pasta more like that found in the south of Italy, a 50/50 mix with flour will produce pasta more like that from northern Italy which is the one I prefer. If you make gnocchi the coarse semolina is ideal for that too.

[supersprout]

Thank you baccyman
I've made soba but never got the beautiful even cut - not tried the 50/50 thing. Aha, another project coming on!

[Melbourne12]

I took my broken pasta machine back today and it was only the same lad on the till that had taken the last one off me!  And he recognised me too!  Typical.  I asked if many other people had returned them and he said "No.  Just YOU".  Ooops! ::)

Look on the bright side.  You're the only one who has actually used it.   ;D