Tips for making home-made pasta?

TastyReuben

TastyReuben

Nosh 'n' Splosh
Staff member
Joined
15 Jul 2019
Local time
6:06 AM
Messages
28,041
Location
Ohio, US
[Mod.Edit: This post moved from another thread to invite general discussion about pasta making tips (MG)]

Ugh, I tried making fresh pasta for the first time ever. Didn't turn out so well.

For one, it was too thick. Way too think. The recipe called for filling and pan-frying the pasta, and it came out thick, dry, hard, and crumbly, like a bad pie crust.

Second, I don't think I mixed it very well. It called for just mixing it with a fork, and that worked for about a minute, and after that, I had to use my hands, but I was afraid of overworking it (I don't even know if that's a thing with pasta dough, but it seemEd like it would be), so it wasn't a nice silky dough like I'm used to with most dough things - again, it was very much like a pie crust.

The thickness factor and the mixing are on me, but going out and comparing this recipe to a few others on the internet, it seems like this one left a few things out. Other recipes I found did include kneading for a bit, so I suppose I should have done that, and others also said to let it relax for a while after kneading, and I didn't do that at all.

Anyway, not irritated enough to say I won't try it again, but still fairly irritated. I was really excited when I bought this cookbook; but I've made two recipes from it, and I've found that it lacks a whole lot of detail.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
CraigC said:
Did you wrap it and let it rest before trying to roll it out? Do you have a machine?
Click to expand...
No, because the recipe I was using left that part out. That's one of the details they skipped over.

As soon as I did this, I watched a handful of videos, and it seems an easy enough process, it's just this cookbook is severely lacking in any kind of depth, and not just with this recipe.
 
morning glory said:
Resting it is important.

... maybe epicuric or Saranak (or anyone else who makes home-made pasta) could comment?
Click to expand...
I think I'm fine now, I've watched several videos on it. It's just this crap cookbook that I used, which is more like:

1. Put flour in bowl
2. Add egg
3. Mix!
4. Roll out thin
5. You're done, wasn't that easy!
 
Ciao,
Mi dispiace I only see this minute ago.
Hmm sound like dough to dry if crumble, also it must have smooth silk feel an look, thick maximum 2mm for Pappardelle or Tagliatelle Lasagne sheet 3-4mm . Agree must allow dough time for rest and relax.
Try add little Olive oil to dough can help make more elastic, I think I say before I use roll pin to make.
Reuben what flour you use Bello?
Mi dispiace to be vague but difficult answer with out see.

Sarana x
 
Saranak said:
Some book better than other, although pasta is quite simple ingredient is no so simple for make. Texture every thing. Also if make feel better Bello I get wrong some time also :hyper:.

Sarana x
Click to expand...
Thanks! I don't feel bad at all, because after watching a few videos, I'm laying this failure clearly at the feet of the cookbook authors. :)

I've one other recipe from this book, and it also called for a bit of improvisation and quickie research while in the middle of making the dish, because it seemed to go from one step to the next, while leaving a lot out in the way of instruction.
 
Saranak said:
Hmm this is issue many time, people write books they think all ingredient available every where. It seem from comment you make you OK now?

Sarana x
Click to expand...
Yes, thank you. I'm not discouraged, I'll try it again in a couple of weeks, likely.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom