Grow Your Own Magazine

A query to find out if anyone has one and uses it or is it in the back of the cupboard?
I've seen manual ones advertised and also electric ones, so don't know which would be better, but I'd like to have a go at making pasta. Thinking both spag and ravioli
Sue

Sue, mine is at the back of the cupboard during the summer, but it will be coming out this weekend. I find its a bit of winter thing really, as I need to be a bit organised with ingredients and drying time, but the effort is really worth it.

I have got a manual machine and its pretty good. So quick and really no effort at all. The biggest problem I find is drying the pasta before storing it. My husband and I were only discussing this last night and we've decided to make smaller quantities this year, but more often. Previously I've made larger quantities and felt the need to store it.

Let us know if you get one.

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Aerodynamically the bumblebee shouldn't be able to fly, but the bumblebee doesn't know that so it goes on flying anyway.
~ Mary Kay Ash

We have one in the back of our cupboard. For us, it just seems we never have enough space.

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A simple dude trying to grow veg.

http://haywayne.blogspot.com/ - Udated - 11th August

http://tickers.baby-gaga.com/p/dev036pr___.png

We have had one for a decade. Its use is spasmodic but it is used and appreciated.

Although it isn't in regular use, it is not the least used piece of 'must have' that we possess.

KK

Like bread, I make pasta by hand. It requires a bit of kneeding and the rolling is a test of wrist strength but I love doing it. Better than ironing! In Italy I bought 3 small 'rolling pins' with thick, medium and thin ridges to cut the pasta. The thick one you can roll in one direction then turn through a few degrees and cut again which gives you diamond shapes. These were used in the area I stayed in Italy with a tomato and borlotti bean sauce - fan-blinkin'-tastic! I love peasant food. (OMG, perhaps I'm a peasant?)

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Each day is a gift. That's why it's called The Present.

vegheaven.blogspot.com Updated Aug 20th 2008

Better prospects than being a pheasant near Sewer Rat

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Happy Gardening,
Shirley

http://www.honeyjukes.co.uk

When I nip into the garden I tuck in me feathers in case he sees me!

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Each day is a gift. That's why it's called The Present.

vegheaven.blogspot.com Updated Aug 20th 2008

So that's what the ladies mean by 'Nip and Tuck'. I've often wondered.

KK

Sue, I have both a hand machine and an attachment for my Kenwood. I would say that I use the kenwood more, mainly because Richard has so much fun making pasta! You know what it is like - boys and toys! The hand machine is great for lasagne sheets, which I can't get from the kenwood - but I find making the dough very hard on the hands as I have a few joint problems, it has to be hard yet pliable, too soft and it just gunges the machine up, too hard and the rollers can't cope.

It's an excelent way of getting some eggs into Pippa! She loves pasta of almost any type, long spaghetti is the current favourite.

(I even sneaked some meat into the sauce!)

I use my pasta maker most weeks its not a hand one tho, it looks a bit like a mincer and fits on the front of my Kenwood Chef.
Then for drying the pasta DH make a areal type thingie stand out of wood dowel.

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Bren

We drape it over the clothes airer - in front of a radiator if appropriate.

KK

Hmm, must see if mother-in-law has a pasta maker for the Kenwood (I pinch all her attachments coz she doesn't use them).

Can someone post a recipe for pasta in the Kenwood please?

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Happy Gardening,
Shirley

http://www.honeyjukes.co.uk

Shirley I use 4oz plain flour, 5oz semolina flour, 2 eggs or (one large) a drop of olive oil and a pinch of salt.
Mix with dough hook then put through pasta maker.

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Bren

Thanks Bren.

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Happy Gardening,
Shirley

http://www.honeyjukes.co.uk

Sorry to hi-jack but we've a kenwood chef and I was thinking about getting a pasta attachment for it - looked at them and though, nah bet they don't work.....so are they worth it and how much mess/trouble are they?

I wouldn't want to pay out for one and then have it join the manual pasta machine that sits at the back of the cupboard (manual is too much hard-work & paff!).

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Manda.

"Wouldn't it be nice
For maybe an hour
To not have a care."

Manda I find it takes around 10mins from start to finish to make pasta, longest part of all is putting it over the rack to dry.
I think its well worth the effort

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Bren

Thanks Bren.
How long does 'dry' pasta keep, do you put it in the fridge or can you freeze it? Oh one last question, does the kenwood attachment make macaroni?

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Manda.

"Wouldn't it be nice
For maybe an hour
To not have a care."

We have one of the hand powered Pasta Machines, have to say its deffo worth the effort as it makes fab pasta, you really can taste the difference, BUT because of working hours we only tend to use it when we are off and have the time to do so, generally in winter and when we dont need to be on the plot all day, otherwise we generally make do with dried pasta, even if the flavour isnt anywhere near the same!

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Blessings
Suzanne (aka Mrs Dobby)

'Garden naked - get some colour in your cheeks'!

The Dobby's Pumpkin Patch - a blogspot work in progress!
Last updated 10th August 2008 - updates!

Manda never tried freezing or saving pasta it does seem to go dry and easy breaks after so long so we tend to make a batch just before its needed.

Have look at Kenwoods website, there's instructions and a couple of pasta recipes in pdf format it'll give you some idea how the attachment works.

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Bren

OMG
This is the thin end of the wedge, been trying not to buy a Kenwood for ages and now I've got a whole new reason to get one....it sounds as if this is the best way to do it? And I get to play with all the other bits and pieces with it.
oh dear
Still can't do anything till I get my new gas cooker sorted out and room enough in the kitchen for a nice new machine...
best wishes and thanks
Sue

Lol! sorry Sue - gadgetmania! We bought a reconditioned Chef from Billingtons (I think, I can check if you're interested?) it was a good price.

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Manda.

"Wouldn't it be nice
For maybe an hour
To not have a care."

I have to admit to being an absolute 'gadget freak'.

I have a 'hand cranked' pasta roller/cutter, very seldom used. When I bought my Kitchen Aid, it came complete with a pasta roller/cutter attachment, used twice.

I also have a SIMAC PastaMatic 700, which I bought years ago. It had been gathering dust in the back of a cupboard, until someone on another site asked if anyone had a spare tagliatelli 'disk'. The suggestion was that they make good money on ebay, and having been in the back of a cupboard for many years, I thought I may be able to sell it.

Anyway, dusted it off, and OH used it and I would have to say, of the three machines, the PastaMatic is the best way of making pasta. It has a tub on top, with a paddle, you put in the ingredients, mix together, then you extrude the mixture through whichever disc to produce whichever type of pasta you want, spaghetti, tagliatelli, lasagne, ravioli, etc.

If you want further information do a google search on simac pastamakers.

valmarg

Just looked them up Val, can't see the 700 but the Simac machines look the bizz - they're now on the 'gadgets wanted' list! Thanks a lot!

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Manda.

"Wouldn't it be nice
For maybe an hour
To not have a care."