How To Use a Pasta Maker Machine
Everyone loves pasta, so a pasta maker machine should be a must have kitchen appliance. If you have never had truly fresh pasta made with a pasta maker machine you have not had pasta. Fresh pasta homemade with your pasta maker machine tastes like a bit of heaven. It absorbs sauces better and has much more flavor than the dried out from the box type. There are a couple of options to crank out fresh pasta with your pasta maker machine, but most all of the options start with a simple recipe.
Recipe For Fresh Pasta
Making pasta from scratch is as simple as beating three ingredients together. Of course as time wears on and you become an expert and making pasta there are variations on the recipe but to start keep it simple. You are going to need some eggs, flour and salt. The ratio is as follows for every 2 cups of flour you will need three eggs. The amount of salt is typically 1 tablespoon per cup of flour. You mix all three ingredients by hand using a fork until everything is blended. Some electric pasta maker will do the mixing for you, but if you are using an old hand crank machine than you will have to do it the old fashioned way.
Kneading the dough by flipping it over and over again while pressing your palms into it will insure that all the ingredients are well mixed.
Using the Pasta Maker Machine
If you are using an older model hand cranking machine like the Atlas Marcato 150 manual pasta maker there is usually a clamping mechanism on the bottom of the machine which attaches to the edge of a work table or the counter. This device makes sure the pasta machine will stay stable while it is being hand cranked. A newer electric pasta machine like the Imperia pasta machine made in Italy by Villaware usually have a rubber base that grips the surface and keeps it steady while using it.
The dough mixture can be fed into the pasta machine once it has been fully worked and is pliable. If it is the older hand crank type you will have to crank as you feed. The pasta will come out in strips. The more modern electric pasta makers will have metal plates that can be changed out to produce different cuts of the pasta. The older hand crank models also will have these interchangeable plates to produce different types of pasta.
The electric models are much easier to use once you fully understand the directions. The pasta will come out in strips with the electric models the strips will be cut automatically depending on the information that is programmed into the machine. On the older hand cranked models you will have to manually cut the strips of pasta to the length you desire.
Options
There are many different recipe options that can be used in conjunction with a pasta machine. Recipes to make spaghetti, fettuccine, tagliatelli and other pasta are available through books and online venues. The pasta machines also come with quite a few options, the options will dictate the price of the machine. It is recommended for a novice to start out simple. Pasta machine attachments are usually sold separately on additional cost.
There is a huge array of pasta machines to choose from. It is probably easier at this point to find electric models than it is to find hand crank models. There is something for everyone whether you are novice or expert.
Cooking Pasta That is Handmade
The best pasta that is made using a pasta maker machine cooks a lot faster than store bought dried out pasta. Typically in half the time. Although homemade pasta is dried it is not as dried, so cooking this pasta takes only a matter of minutes. Once the water is boiling and the pasta is put in the water and it rises to the top than the pasta is done.
Once you have homemade pasta you will never go back to store bought!
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