A passion for pasta

I never realised it was so straightforward. Pasta, I mean. Specifically, making one’s own fresh pasta at home. Since discovering some labour-saving secrets, I have been going about it with gusto.

Jen introduced me to pasta making a few months ago. Her creations were delicious but took an age, kneading the dough and letting it stand before churning it though the Past-a-Fast (which, due to dubious typography, I invariable read as “Part-a-Fart”).

I decided to help out with the effort so we might have more fresh pasta on tap and to unlock the secrets of the Part-a-Fart. After all, who can resists a machine that cranks, squeezes and slices to make tasty goodies?

Dead easy

The basic recipe could not be simpler: 2 cups of flour, three eggs, an optional pinch of salt. Mix together and create a dough, knead for ten minutes, leave to stand for an hour, then roll out (with rolling pin or machine) and cut appropriately (with knife or machine).

Flavoured pasta (such as with spinach or cracked black pepper) have the additional ingredients added in the initial dough mixture. Time-consuming? Yes. Some effort required kneading? Yes. Complex? Certainly not.

I should pint out here my abhorrence for anything remotely sticky or gooey on my hands and fingers. Once switching from initial mixing with a fork, the dough sticks to everything until it forms a proper lump. I find myself having to fight the urge to squeal in disgust at its stickiness! (Deep breath… and we’re back in the room.)

Don’t wait

Doing a little research I discovered the Part-a-Fart machine was being under-utilised in that it can supplement the kneading process. Plus, in the two books I read, there was also no mention of leaving the dough for an hour before rolling.

So with some effort and significant time scrubbed from the recipe, I rolled up my sleeves and started throwing ingredients around (I am not a tidy cook).

The savings were significant, and on the last batch of pasta I created enough to cover two of us for about six meals in about one and a half hours from retrieving the ingredients to hanging the pasta to dry.

The key is in the Part-a-Fart

A pasta machine is essential if you don’t want to spend all day messing with dough. The front section of the machine – with flat, mangle-like rollers, is used to knead the dough. Once thoroughly mixed and initially kneaded by hand, I pass it through these rollers – at their widest setting – folding it on itself each time.

Bringing the dough down to a suitably sized sheet, is just a matter of continuing with these rollers at successively smaller settings.

Once each sheet is hung to dry for perhaps 10-15 minutes (usually while making another batch of dough), they can be run through the rear of the machine to be sliced into fettuccine or tagliatelle. The sheet drying time is important, too little and the sheets are sticky, too much and they are brittle. Though erring on the side of too little is best as sprinkling some flour over then negates the stickiness.

Oh holey Ravioli

With with initial pasta success under my belt, I thought I might tackle the next challenge: Ravioli. Books to hand, instructions and tips learned, I made some perfect sheets of pasta (using the Part-a-Fart once more, but only the kneading rollers).

Unfortunately, that’s where it all fell apart (literally).

The technique is to lay out a sheet of pasta then place small, half-teaspoonfuls of filling about two inches apart, forming a grid. The spaces are brushed with beaten egg to help to stick, and another sheet of past laid over the top. This is where it all goes wrong.

To avoid an unholy mess when boiling the ravioli, it is vital to avoid air-pockets. Take my word for it, the task is virtually impossible! I found myself having to squeeze out extra air from each, individual ravioli, sometimes ending up with a squirt of filling from the edge instead.

An altogether frustrating result – though we did manage to have enough for one meal – that will wait until Dad Xmas brings us the ravioli attachment for the Part-a-Fart. It’s rapidly becoming a pasta factory!

Where’s your how-to video?

I suppose I should make one. Making pasta is simple and, I have found, highly satisfying. A little time at the weekend provides tasty treasure for most of the rest of the week. That’s a worthy activity.

---