# Home made pasta



## Romany123 (Jul 28, 2006)

I tend to make my own pasta once a month, Dry it and keep it in air tight containers (it will keep for a month that way). What about you guy's.


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## Ishbel (Jul 28, 2006)

I make it about once a month - but only enough to make the meal that I'm cooking that day.  I've never thought of keeping it.


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## Romany123 (Jul 28, 2006)

Good morning Ishbell
Providing you dry it throughly, it will keep for at least a month


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## urmaniac13 (Jul 28, 2006)

I try to make them fresh, especially the egg based ones whenever possible. It IS possible if you plan your meal well enough, decide to have lasagna, cannelloni, ravioli early enough, the day before or much earlier in the day, but unfortunately quite often I don't get the inspiration for the dinner menu until a bit too late... then I have to resort to the much quicker dried pasta that are always stored in our cupboard...

I didn't know you could also make them and dry them successfully at home... but do they taste significantly better than the shop bought?  I thought the handmade pasta taste better because they are made FRESH, if they are dried, you can buy the dried version for like 50 cents / kilo in Italy, seems like too much of a hassle for its worth...


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## buckytom (Jul 28, 2006)

is there much of a difference between home dried and store dried pasta?

kinda defeats the whole purpose and effort, no?

i would and have frozen home made pasta. the reason for drying it is to keep it longer.


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## Romany123 (Jul 28, 2006)

buckytom said:
			
		

> is there much of a difference between home dried and store dried pasta?
> 
> kinda defeats the whole purpose and effort, no?
> 
> i would and have frozen home made pasta. the reason for drying it is to keep it longer.



On a personal note, Yes there is a difference, and quite a marked one at that.Apart from the satisfaction I gain from making it, I also know what is in it,.  Also I can adjust the flavor and richness by adding herbs of my choice and perhaps using more egg yokes than white, the colour can also be altered by using, say spinach or beetroot. The posibilities are endless, so

 "kinda defeats the whole purpose and effort, no?"

Not in my book


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## Ishbel (Jul 28, 2006)

I enjoy making pasta, but often don't have the time to do so, so buy fresh stuff from my local Waitrose supermarket for specific dishes.  I also keep egg based dried pastas in the larder.


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## buckytom (Jul 28, 2006)

i understand your partial explanation; i don't know what's available in essex, pasta wise. 
most of what you describe is available where i live, most of the time, in stores ranging from specialty shops to your average food market. lots of different ingredients, coloring agents, etc.. of course it's always better to make something yourself, to be sure of the ingredients and flavor.

my point was the freezing of freshly made pasta.


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## VeraBlue (Jul 28, 2006)

It's a seasonal thing for me.  From October through May I'll usually make pasta a couple of times a month.   Otherwise, it is just too hot in my kitchen to do anything but take ice out of the freezer for cocktails.


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## Romany123 (Jul 28, 2006)

Bucky
They do sell fresh pasta here, but, by the very fact it can stay "fresh" for 5 or six weeks in the fridge ( I am referring to tesco's fresh pasta) makes me suspicious.
But at the end of the day it is down to whatever ticks your boxes 

 I tend to make all my own food from scratch if possible from sausages to bread to sauces. 
I guess I am lucky I work from home and the kitchen is at my disposal all day


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## cjs (Jul 28, 2006)

I'm like VeraBlue - I seem to make pasta in the fall/winter months, same with most breads also. I don't do flavors much, I really should play with that sometime tho.


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## Romany123 (Jul 28, 2006)

Hi again Jean
I guess that I have just got used to making it, over the years I reckon the amount I have made must stretch to the moon lol


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## JohnL (Jul 28, 2006)

I've never tried to make fresh pasta yet, but would like to try sometime. I've seen the pasta attachment for KA mixers but haven't purchased one yet. Do you guys make your pasta by hand or do you use a machine?


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## Ishbel (Jul 28, 2006)

I make the pasta dough by hand and then use a pasta roller machine to get it to the required level of thin-ness.


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## Romany123 (Jul 28, 2006)

JohnL said:
			
		

> I've never tried to make fresh pasta yet, but would like to try sometime. I've seen the pasta attachment for KA mixers but haven't purchased one yet. Do you guys make your pasta by hand or do you use a machine?



I use a Tippo Hand machine, works well for me.


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## JohnL (Jul 28, 2006)

I've seen the hand crank machines at the stores before R123. I was just thinking about the KA attachment because it would take up less space in my kitchen. So basically the pasta dough is made by hand and then put through the machine to thin it out and cut it into shape? Approx how long does it take to make a batch of fresh pasta for 2 people?


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## pdswife (Jul 28, 2006)

I have a pasta maker... but I think I'm afraid to use it.  I never have....


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## Essie (Jul 28, 2006)

I do the entire job with my Kitchenaid. I mix the dough, then wrap and chill it for an hour. Then I use the pasta roller and cutter attachment or roll the dough and use my ravioli maker(which I love) for my homemade ravioli. I used to the this all by hand and hand crank machine, but this works so well and so quickly. It's therapy for me, as well.


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## JohnL (Jul 28, 2006)

I've never seen the dough done in the KA before, I've only seen it made on the FN, usually the dry ingredients are put on a work surface and a well is made in the center for the wet ingredients. Then the dry is pulled into the wet? Guess I should have paid attention to what they were doing


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## Loprraine (Jul 28, 2006)

I like making it, I can add whatever herbs, flavourings I want.Also, if I'm making something like lasagna sheets, it's way cheaper than buying them fresh. .  Sometimes I do it by hand, othertimes in the KA.  And, I still have the old hand crank that I love.


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## Half Baked (Jul 28, 2006)

I gave my hand crank away when someone bought me an electric pasta maker.  I really prefer the hand crank one and will probably buy myself another one.


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## kadesma (Jul 28, 2006)

_I have a hand crank, but often if making linguine or fettucini, I just lightly roll and cut by hand..Then on a pan with parchment paper and rice flour I nest the fresh pasta, quick freeze some for the following week and keep out that evening portion for dinner. my DH is use to walking into the kitchen draped in hanging pasta, say's it's like dodging his mom's wash on the laundry line  I never buy, what is called fresh in the grocery stores, as I find after sitting there Lord knows how long in those packages the pasta strands want to stick together, I HATE, standing there, pulling apart individual strands..so I make my own._
_kadesma _


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## VeraBlue (Jul 28, 2006)

cjs said:
			
		

> I'm like VeraBlue - I seem to make pasta in the fall/winter months, same with most breads also. I don't do flavors much, I really should play with that sometime tho.



I made a most magnificent ravioli last christmas.  I used a roasted carrot mash in the dough, and made the filling with roasted carrots and mascarpone cheese.  It was amazing.


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## VeraBlue (Jul 28, 2006)

JohnL said:
			
		

> I've seen the hand crank machines at the stores before R123. I was just thinking about the KA attachment because it would take up less space in my kitchen. So basically the pasta dough is made by hand and then put through the machine to thin it out and cut it into shape? Approx how long does it take to make a batch of fresh pasta for 2 people?



probably about an hour.   But, do it with someone you love, and have some wine at the same time.   It's more of an event rather than a chore.


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## Loprraine (Jul 28, 2006)

"I made a most magnificent ravioli last christmas. I used a roasted carrot mash in the dough, and made the filling with roasted carrots and mascarpone cheese. It was amazing"

Is the recipe posted here?  It sounds fabulous!


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## cjs (Jul 30, 2006)

VeraBlue, last week I had the best ravioli - beets with goat cheese!! What a delightful combination - and I know I'll play with that - SOON!!


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## Romany123 (Jul 31, 2006)

JohnL
Sorry for the delay getting back to you. I guess about an hour is about right although I have never timed it myself. By the way my hand crank is now redundant as my new kitchen has no overhand on the work surface to attach it to. Just ordered the attachment for my kitchenAid.


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## middie (Aug 1, 2006)

Never have made my own.


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