For Serious Cooks - Pasta Makers?

[Quillfred]

Beth, as soon as you can get here.

[short cut sally]

You couldn't have posted this question at a better time, as that is what I have been pondering. I just purchased my first mixer, a kitchenaid, and I saw that they had a pasta attachment, among other attachments that I think I might need but never use. I debated, could I justify that extra money, and would I ever use it. So this thread has me rethinking that maybe I should bite the bullet and add it right on that ol' credit card also. Is there a universal pasta recipe or is it a family tradition type recipe that you folks use? (I remember my grandma making homemade noodles for soup when I was just a tadpole.) So if you folks could answer the pasta recipe question for me, I would greatly consider the pasta attachment. ( Kitchen aid is offering free S&H since I just bought the mixer on any attachment-what an incentive-and no I am not affiliated with Kitchen aid). So once the pasta is made, do you need a dryer rack to dry out the pasta before cooking/boiling it? Or do you use the drying rack if you plan to store it? This is all new to me so any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

[mimitabby]

a dryer rack would probably be helpful. I just put mine on cookie sheets with lots of flour on them.

Recipes: flour, water
flour, olive oil, water
flour, egg, water



The secret is to keep the dough as dry as you can stand to
without it being too dry. And the only way to get good at it is with experience.

having said that, you can find lots of good recipes.

[firenze11]

Recipes: flour, water
flour, olive oil, water
flour, egg, water



The secret is to keep the dough as dry as you can stand to
without it being too dry. And the only way to get good at it is with experience.

having said that, you can find lots of good recipes.

So true. When I first made pasta I had to throw about two batches out. I was trying to follow a recipe and being very exact about it. I got frustrated because the dough never felt right and never went through the pasta maker well. My family was standing around watching and finally I just gave up and said, "That's IT, I'm going to make it like a NONA would make it. Nonas don't need recipes!" So I looked at some basic proportions and made it on my counter with my hands. It was really great!

So now I generally use about 2 cups flour, a tablespoon or so of olive oil, a couple of eggs (either whole or just yolks to make it more rich), a pinch of salt, a bit of water if the dough is too dry.

I mix the flour and salt together, make a well in the flour on the counter, and add the wet ingredients into the well. I stir the wet ingredients with my fingers which pulls the flour in slowly until I can't mix it anymore. Then knead until it is soft and looks/feels "right." Let it rest for awhile, and then away you go!

Good luck! It's a fun process.