We all know about fresh pasta, but what about real pasta, the kind you make at home at the kitchen table. Have you ever tasted that?
Whip out your flour and prepare to astound your friends and family!
One salad bowl, 250 g. of flour* and 2 eggs Break your eggs into the flour, mix, knead energetically for 3 minutes. If the pastry is too dry add a little warm water and if it is sticky, add a little flour: you know how it works…
By hand When your pastry is no longer sticky and is quite elastic, separate it into 5 or 6 portions and get out your best rolling pin. Sprinkle a little flour on the table and roll. Fold it over and roll it several times adding a little flour. When your rolled pastry has become thin and resistant, cut it into the shape you want with a knife or pizza cutter. You can also roll the pastry and cut it into slices. Once rolled, you get shapes that are long like tagliatelli.
It is quite hard to get a regular surface by hand. Wooden rolling pins and worktops are less smooth that the nicket-plated steel in good pasta making machines. Work with small amounts, and if possible on a smooth worktop, such as marble.
With a rolling machine The principle is simple:
On one side, you laminate the pastry thinly as you put it through the rollers and on the other side you cut spaghetti, tagliatelli, angel hair, etc.
It´s really easy: when your pastry is kneaded, you put it in place and turn the handle. The thickness will be perfectly regular and you will get as smooth and resistant surface. This really changes things when it is time to cook: your pasta will not come apart and will remain firm.
If you are a fan of tagliatelli, lasagna, ravioli and other Italian specialties, it´s worth buying the equipment. A good machine with nickle plated rollers that do not stick costs less than € 60 and you will have it for life…
Using a stringing machine For making hollow pasta, these machines push your pasta through a shape: the stringer. With this system, you can also make spaghetti, fusilli, etc. Turn the handle and the pasta comes out. Simply cut to the length you require, holding the string with a small kitchen knife. This is the simplest and fastest system. If you want to change shape, change the shaper!
*Note: Use durum flour for your pasta! You will find it easily under the name ""semolina"".
