Making pasta

meritaten

can I hijack and ask rinabean a Q? do you just use a normal rolling pin for ravioli etc? I was under the impression that a machine was essential for rolling pasta dough as its so stretchy? because if so I would have a go at that - just wouldn't buy a machine as I couldn't justify the expense to make ravioli a couple of times a year perhaps? The grandkids like ravioli apparently.

nuatha

meritaten wrote: »

can I hijack and ask rinabean a Q? do you just use a normal rolling pin for ravioli etc? I was under the impression that a machine was essential for rolling pasta dough as its so stretchy? because if so I would have a go at that - just wouldn't buy a machine as I couldn't justify the expense to make ravioli a couple of times a year perhaps? The grandkids like ravioli apparently.

A machine does make pasta making easier, but you can make all the flat pastas with a rolling pin. (you can make some of the shapes this way as well, but that's a bit more advanced).
All of the flat pastas start as making lasagne sheets, its fairly straightforward.
300g OO flour, 2 whole eggs, 4 egg yolks, teaspoon salt, tablespoon olive oil.
Beat the eaggs, yolks and oil together, mix the salt into the flour and put on your worktop, make a well in the middle and add half of the egg mix. With your fingers start to draw the flour into the liquid and mix until the liquid has been adsorbed, make another well, add half of whats left of the liquid and repeat, then add the rest of the liquid. Mix until the liquid is absorbed, then knead until you have a pliable dough. Wrap in clingfilm and put in fridge for at least an hour, knead again, then roll into a 6 inch long sausage shape, wrap in clingfilm and rest in fridge for at least an hour.
Divide the sausage into 6 pieces, take one to work with, keep the others wrapped. Roll into a 6 inch square, then roll in one direction only until you have approx 20 inches by 6 inches (about 1/16th thick). (You'll need to lift the pasta regularly and dust with flour to keep it free from the worktop). Lift it onto a clean teatowel and cover (with teatowel) while you roll the rest.
From here you can cut various widths of ribbon, lasagne sheets or to make ravioli, lay one strip on the worktop, place spoonfuls of filling in two parallel lines along the length of the pasta. Brush water over the exposed pasta, lay a second sheet over the first, then with a scone or pastry cutter cut out the individual ravioli. Lift each one and press the top down over the filling excluding as much air as you can while nipping the two sheets together to form a seal.

HTH

meritaten

thanks nuatha - it sounds like something to do with my budding chefs - the grandgirls!
so it sounds like rolling in one direction is the key to working with the dough - plus all the 'resting'! Brilliant!

nuatha

meritaten wrote: »

thanks nuatha - it sounds like something to do with my budding chefs - the grandgirls!
so it sounds like rolling in one direction is the key to working with the dough - plus all the 'resting'! Brilliant!

The extra egg yolks and the oil coats the flour proteins and limits the gluten formation. The result is a dough that becomes more like playdough in texture. The extra resting helps.

Having said all that, I've seen unused pasta machines at car boot sales for a couple of quid.
Ravioli is a great starting point with kids, if they are dexterous, lookup capelletti or tortellini, the first few will be a mess, but it generally doesn't take very many to have something that looks almost right.

meritaten

I know its bragging - but the two grandgirls aged 11 are quite good cooks and I think they are capable of making pasta. they would be chuffed to tell everyone they can make fresh pasta!
in fact you have got me fired up, and I think next time I have them overnight its going to be a ravioli supper. now - is tuna a good ravioli filling? they normally have the tinned ravioli which is meat based, but if they have a pasta dish they ask for Tunapasta.

nuatha

meritaten wrote: »

I know its bragging - but the two grandgirls aged 11 are quite good cooks and I think they are capable of making pasta. they would be chuffed to tell everyone they can make fresh pasta!
in fact you have got me fired up, and I think next time I have them overnight its going to be a ravioli supper. now - is tuna a good ravioli filling? they normally have the tinned ravioli which is meat based, but if they have a pasta dish they ask for Tunapasta.

Tuna, cream cheese and black pepper makes an excellent ravioli filling

suki1964

Beckyy wrote: »

I totally see your point rinabean. The main thing that's made me want to try it is that I'm finding it quite difficult to find pasta that is made with at least free range eggs and as someone with chickens myself and a good supply of them it would probably be a good way to use them whilst knowing the ingredients are decent.

I will buy some '00' flour tomorrow and do some experimenting before I do purchase a machine.

Most supermarkets use free range egg pastas now, some in the fresh, some in the dried pasta sections.

I did read some time back and I cant mnd who wrote it ( some chef) who said dried pasta was usually the best , but hey hi that was just one persons opinion

I did Google the machine recommended on this thread and found a Jamie Oliver video where they went into schools to teach kids how to cook and they showed that a machine wasn't really needed, they used a bottle to roll the pasta

If pasta was a huge part of my diet I might consider one. However we eat pasta just once a forthright so dried works for me. Sometimes fresh is I want a real fast meal

Beckyy

suki1964 wrote: »

Most supermarkets use free range egg pastas now, some in the fresh, some in the dried pasta sections.

I know that neither Asda, Tesco or Sainsburys use free range eggs in their fresh pasta, aside from the Finest range which only has certain fillings. I've found only the co-op and M&S use free range in all their fresh pasta.

I bought some 00 flour today so will hopefully get a chance to experiment soon!

Owain_Moneysaver

And if you look at the sell-by dates on 'fresh' pasta you can see how fresh it actually is.