Using a pasta machine - advice needed

[pg]

I've read other posts mentioning pasta recipes - so I'm hoping some of you use a hand cranking pasta rolling/cutting machine.

I've had a couple of goes using my Marcato pasta machine and I'm struggling to find a way of stopping the pasta coming out of the linguine/strip cutters from sticking to itself.

I put through a nice thin strip of pasta, the machine cuts it and deposits it in a concetina heap out the other side. I stop cranking the handle to try and pull out the pasta into a nice long line, but it is too late already tangled and starting to adhere.

Any suggestions on keeping my pasta strips untangled? I've resorted to using a knife and cutting manually.

[pg]

[Marymary]

I usually throw some flour onto the machine then turn with one hand while sort of feeding & catching with the other hand if you do it slowly it can be done.  Alternatively employ a small child [or other available person] to do one of the three tasks!   Good luck.

[cleo]

Flour helps but let the dough firm up a bit before rolling

[Trevor_D]

Agree with Cleo. I do it in stages, with a few minutes rest between each: 1 - mix egg & flour and hand knead; 2 - put it through the widest setting, then fold in half & repeat 10 or 12 times (more than it says in my manual); 3 - feed it through successively narrower settings (but not the thinnest); 4 - pass it through the cutter; 5 - toss in flour & leave till ready.

Use plenty of flour on your surface & keep the sheets dusted with it. Hope this helps, 'cos home-made pasta is so good!

[sally_cinnamon]

Yeah, my instructions say to leave about 10 minutes between rolling it out and passing it through the cutters.  It does seem to help, as does a dusting of flour! :)

[euronerd]

Yes, plenty flour, and I clamp my machine on the edge of the worktop in such a way that the rolled pasta hangs in free space. This is easier if you have a corner or a free standing kitchen table. I catch it with a simple piece of wood dowelling just before it falls, then hang it over an open cupboard door to dry after the last process.

[Trevor_D]

I catch it with a simple piece of wood dowelling just before it falls

Sounds fun! I'd have liked to have been a fly on the wall when you were perfecting the trick! (In our house, the phone would ring or one of the dogs would bark when it got to the "just before it falls" bit!  :) :) :)

[pg]

Thanks for the tips everyone.

I hadn't thought of resting the dough - I have been too keen to get on and eat! Using the machine near the edge of the work surface and dusting with flour are inspired and so simple - slaps head.

pg

[euronerd]

Trevor_D, you would have fallen off the wall if you'd been a fly, wiping the tears from your eyes from laughing. After the first time I spread some clean stuff on the floor for when I missed.

Geoff.