making HM pasta

Gillby1 · 16 August 2005 at 9:56AM

Hi all,

I was reading the thread about cooking from scratch, and wondered if many people make their own pasta? If so, does it taste better than shop bought, and does it require a pasta 'machine' thingy? What are the ingredients?

I love pasta, and shop bought fresh is tasty and fairly cheap, but I love cooking and get such satisfaction from making my own basics! I'm another bread machine fanatic... :j

Ta

Gills

Mr_Proctalgia · 16 August 2005 at 10:05AM

I used to make it all the time but to be honest it isnt cost effective. I had an electric pasta extruder and a "mini mangle" machine. but the time, effort and cost made it cheaper to buy ready made dried pasta, the only time it gets used now is if I am having a family meal and the kids decend when I use the mini mangle to make giant ravioli with herb leafs inbedded in the layers. The sourcing of the correct flour, semolina, umpteen egg yolks etc means it is an expensive option for me.

Nile · 16 August 2005 at 10:35AM

When most wheats are milled, a soft powdery flour is produced.

When durum wheat is milled, a granular product called semolina is produced.

Semolina is the principal raw indegredient in pasta. Durum wheat is also uniquely yellow in colour and gives the pasta a golden colour.

ancasta_2 · 16 August 2005 at 11:06AM

I used to make *alot* of fresh pasta when i was a chef but its not really cost effective for a long time,as you have to recover the cost of the pasta roller (the mini mangle thing) and then the expense of the 00 flour and the time it takes.

For an everyday pasta use, your much better off using dried and alot of italians do this themselves or so ive seen every time ive been in Italy.

I keep the making of fresh pasta for special occasions.

Mr_Proctalgia · 16 August 2005 at 11:35AM

I know about the 00 Durum Wheat - But I found that buying high gluten canadian flour and going 50/50 with yer normal semolina worked quite well. The cost came in the egg yolks (although you can use water). The dough needs a lot of resting, otherwise it turns into latex. Oh you need cornflour to stop it sticking as well.

I got two years into a baker and confectioner apprenticship, when I was nowt but a boy, but packed it in, the pay was low and I was fed up of going to work and coming home in the dark, also I didn't consider shoving anything up to 18,000 date and walnut cakes through a tunnel oven was proper "baking" But I did enjoy sabotaging the donuts, I used to fill them to bursting with jam

. we had an industrial ravioli machine, that was a sight to see when it went doo lally - Imagine a duplicating machine that decides to triplicate instead

It chucked pasta everywhere!

BWZN93 · 16 August 2005 at 12:39PM

I occassionally home make egg pasta, and only used a rolling pin! It came out fine, in fact Boyf (who hates pasta) wanted some to try, loved it, and had his own bowl. He now eats the dried stuff (I suppose he was weaned!!) which is more practical, but if youre bored, have plenty of eggs that need using, and have a rolling pin - knock yourself out, its great fun!

Jo xx

nabowla · 16 August 2005 at 1:10PM

JW, do you have a recipe for hand-made pasta? I'd like to have a go at the weekend.

BWZN93 · 16 August 2005 at 1:29PM

Yup!! I used the Jamie Oliver recipe from HERE (copied below), but I halved the ingredients as I didnt want to make loads of the stuff! If you dont have the rolling machine, then use a rolling pin, have a large worksurface available, and hand roll until its really thin (about 1mm?? I think mine was fairly thin, but I dont like gloopy thick pasta!). I also used strong flour, as I didnt have semolina flour, and it turned out fine!

Ingredients:

250g/9oz strong flour
250g/9oz semolina flour (if unavailable, strong flour will do)
3 large free-range eggs
8 egg yolks

Jamie's Directions:

I use a pasta machine to roll out my pasta into thin sheets about 10cm/4inches wide. Try to get one - they're great. They rarely break and only set you back about 25 quid. However, you can use a rolling-pin - it just takes a little longer to get the pasta as thin.

Method
Place both flours on a clean surface. Make a well in the centre and add the eggs and yolks. With a fork break up the eggs as you bring in the flour. Stir with the fork until you have a dough which you can work with your hands. Knead well until you have a smooth, silky and elastic dough and a clean surface. Wrap the dough in clingfilm and rest it in the fridge for a while.

Divide your ball of pasta into 4 pieces and keep covered. Working with one ball at a time, flatten out with your hand and run through the thickest setting on your machine. Fold in half and repeat this process several times, to give you perfect, textured pasta. Dust the sheet of pasta on both sides with flour before running it through the settings - I usually repeat this 4 or 5 times, dusting and moving the setting in each time until I have the desired thickness (normally about 1-2mm thick, depending on the type of pasta I am making). It does take practice, but once you've cracked it, you'll be knocking up pasta like no one's business. It's all about getting to grips with how pasta works. It will stay fresh in the fridge for half a day or it can be dried and stored in airtight containers.

Cut the sheets to about the length of a shoebox. Fold them over twice, making sure you have dusted them generously on both sides with flour. Now cut into slices approximately 4cm/1 1/2 inches wide (see picture on left) and you have your pappardelle. Remember to gently toss and jiggle the pappardelle around to separate the lengths of pasta once you have cut them. This will remove any excess flour.

HTH

Jo xx

bugs · 16 August 2005 at 2:38PM

Lots of instructions here- http://www.downsizer.net/Projects/Cookery/Home_Made_Pasta/ - like jw1096 I use just a rolling pin because I can't find the pasta machine...easiest just to do lasagne or large ravioli (tell them it's "restaurant style"

) but you can make a kind of tagliatelle by making a swiss roll and slicing, or papardelle (sp?) which are short thin rectangles (much easier to eat!).

If you can't/don't want to get pasta flour you will still get great results with either plain or strong bread flour.

It's not necessarily cost efficient, but that's not always really the point, is it?

culpepper · 16 August 2005 at 7:54PM

I make mine with all bread flour. 1 egg to 7 and 1/2 oz flour and whizz in the processor then add water if its a bit dry or more bread flour if its sticky.Then I take out the lump of dough and seperate into peices and shove through the pasta mangle doobry.I used to do it by rolling pin but the mangle is so much quicker.Boil water whilst doing this last and then immediately lower into water and cook for about 10 minutes and its done.You can add a drop of oil to the water if you find it sticks together but it shouldnt if you lower it in to already boiling water.
Occasionally I'll use upto 11 and 1/2 oz of flour with the one egg if I have only one egg and just compensate with water but the first quantity is better

Zziggi · 18 November 2005 at 1:04AM

Can anyone tell me how to make HM pasta please?

more importantly - how do you shape it when you have made it?

[yes jamie oliver has inspired my question....]

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making HM pasta

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