I’ve been wanting to try to make it for a while. I’ve got a Kitchenaid mixer and am thinking about picking up a pasta attachment on Black Friday. I’ve never had homemade pasta and just wondered if it was worth the time to make it instead of throwing some dry pasta in water for 8 minutes.
If so, does anyone have a good recipe, flour recommendation, or feedback on mixer attachments?
Unless you enjoy the process, no, it’s not worth it. It takes a lot of work to improve on high-quality store-bought pasta.
I agree with Ike. I tried the “making your own pasts” thing years back, and it’s a lot of work and mess for fractional improvement, especially if you have a decent Italian place nearby to buy fresh pasta occasionally. That said, for normal weeknight dinners, there’s nothing wrong with dried pasta.
Got a basic attachment a couple years back. Takes a long time to make, like 60 to 90 minutes or so. (I may be slow at it) However it does taste better than basic dry pasta. I would make a bunch and freeze multiple batches which are as convenient as dry pasta, but taste better.
If you have a source of fresh pasta probably not worth it. If you have the time and want to control the ingredients, it may be worth the attempt.
It takes a few times to nail the process. Once you get good at it, you can make it fairly quickly. Is it worth that investment in time? Only you can decide. It’s a neat skill to have in the kitchen if you enjoy cooking.
Pastas with light, silky sauces tend to work better with fresh noodles. For heavier, meaty sauces dried is often preferred.
If you want to make something simple without investing in equipment, try fresh gnocchi one night.
Yeah, I enjoy cooking so I may take the plunge. I would definitely make it in large batches and freeze.
The rare occasion where I disagree with Ike. Homemade pasta from scratch is much better than store bought “fresh” pasta. Is it worth the hours and mess? That’s up to you. We do it 3 or 4 times a year and it’s amazing.
I’ve never tried but I do enjoy the instructional videos. They’re very helpful.
Mamma mia
Who knew that watching someone make pasta could be so mesmerizing? My grandma used to make it but I never found it interesting to watch.
If you enjoy cooking at least a little bit then you’ll enjoy making pasta. Flattening and cutting the noodles is quite fun. Definitely worth the effort for the occasional treat.
I think it’s worthwhile if you’re making stuffed pastas like tortellini or ravioli where fresh is key. I prefer high quality dry pasta for most other dishes but your mileage may vary.
In general, making fresh pasta is for the time between your wedding, when you got the pasta maker as a wedding gift, and when you become a parent and no longer have time for it. But yes, it is good to be able to make stuffed pastas yourself, largely because you’ll have full control over what it’s stuffed with, and can be a bit creative if you wish.
This. Enables you to put your own flavors in the ravioli.
To start you don’t need the attachment. You can roll it out thin and cut by hand to see if you like the taste and texture.
We make it a few times a year, mostly when family with kids are around. The kids seem to enjoy making the pasta, and the results are pretty good.
Recipe:
6 eggs (4 yolks, 2 whole)
9oz flour
1tsp salt
Flour on the countertop, make a nest, crack in eggs, combine then kneed. Into the fridge for 20 mins, then divide and Kitchenaid. Into salted boiling water for about 3 mins.
yes, it is.
pasta is incredibly simple and takes no time to make. making the dough is super easy and fast with the KA. then you let it rest, then you flatten it and cut it and dump it right into the boiling pot of water.
doesn’t really get easier than that. there is plenty of great store pasta, but its kind of a fun date night activity with the wife, imo.
Thanks for all the replies, think I’m going to pull the trigger.
not sure if you purchased yet. but i ended getting an off brand that is the 3 in one attachment. i highly recommend it. the ka ones you ahve to switch out. ka also makes a 3 in one, but it’s 2-3x the price. i personally shelled out for a better KA motor and went generic on the part. made pasta 6 times and it works perfectly fine. i like it better because you can take the cover off and clean it a bit better.
Went with this one. Hopefully it’s decent. A little more expensive than most of the other knockoffs, but its full metal construction.
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First attempt was tonight. Went with a 3:1 ratio 00 and semolina. Really easy to make and tastes good. Next time I need to cook it as soon as I cut it so it doesn’t stick together.