Pasta machine

[EADavis]

Re: Pasta machine

I have also got one of these years ago. In fact, there used to be a motorized attachment available (I got one about 10 years ago from a kitchen shop that was going out of business) - some people may feel that it is cheating, but I found that it allows me to concentrate on the dough.

First, I found that the dough needs to be somewhat on the dry side initially (at least as compared to pizza dough). Next, work it thru the machine starting on the widest setting, fold it in thirds, pass it thru again, fold again, etc. several times. Then go down one number, and repeat several times. Continue down one number at a time till you get the thickness desired. You do need to work the dough slowly to the proper thickness, or else it will not hold up.

When I got the machine, there were no English instructions with it (just Italian), and the Internet was in it's "pre-Google stage of life" (shows you how many years ago that was!). So I never learned how to do it "right", but learned what worked for me.
Ed

[egalecki]

Re: Pasta machine

I have the exact same Atlas machine, I think... it's an oldie but a goodie!

My recipe is 3 c AP flour, 4 large eggs, 1 T salt and 1 T oil. I make it in the food processor, adding the beaten eggs, salt and oil to the flour and pulsing until combined. It will not form a ball, but you will be able to press it together. Dump it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it until it's smooth, and let it rest, wrapped in plastic for at least 30 minutes.

It's really important to keep running the dough through the rollers a little at a time- too much at once is unmanageable by oneself. I will run it through on the thickest setting a couple of times, actually, until I have it shaped the way it needs to be. Then I run it through the next size- sometimes it needs more than one pass there too, but by the next one it shouldn't. Use enough flour to prevent sticking, but I think too much gets the dough tough.

I made dough using WW pastry flour once and made butternut squash ravioli in brown butter with crispy sage.. it was wonderful. I guess I need to pull old Atlas down and get cracking! I do covet the Kitchenaid pasta roller, though. I don't know if it works any better, but it has to be faster!

[dmun]

All right, all you Italian food mavens. Today I bought an Atlas Italian pasta machine at a flea market,



and of course I came home and mixed up some pasta dough:

1 1/3 C. AP flour
2 Eggs
1 Tbsp water

mixed, kneeded, rested, flatened, and put it through the rollers on the widest setting, producing the most disgusting torn hole ridden mess imaginable.

I then went to you-tube, what else, and saw the process with my own eyes:



Well, finally, after the application of much bench flour, i finally got the dough sheeted out into something resembling a flat sheet of pasta, and then i tried to put it through the wide noodle cutter. What a mess. It made an accordioned gloppy mass. Is there something I'm doing wrong? Is my cutter dull? Should I not be using AP flour? Any pasta machine experience appreciated.