Giusi said...

> "Alan Calan" ha scritto nel messaggio
>>I bought one of those on Sunday in anticipation of the snow storm. I
>> also wanted to use up a William Sonoma credit that I had. So, what>
>> went wrong:
>
> Using a motorized pasta roller/cutter with no experience, that's all.
>>
>> I followed the recipe for egg pasta provided in the manual of the
>> roller/cutters. It said 3.5 cups of flour (I used 125 grams x 3.5 or
>> 437 grams), 3 eggs, 1/2 easpoon of salt and one tablespoon of water.
>> It made very dry dough that would not come together.
>
> Yes, it certainly would. Unless making a regional specialty, I use 100
> g of flour and one egg, pinch of salt. Period. You make up the
> difference among eggs during the rolling when you flour the pasta to
> keep it moving.
>
>>>So I started> adding water and I'd bet all in all I added close to a
>>>1/2 a cup or> more.>
>> The dough seemed better. I cut it into 4 pieces and let it sit for 20
>> minutes. I then made the first batch of linguini. I ran it through
>> the roller till I got to five, only folding on the #1 setting. What
>> should I have done next? I took out the roller and put in the
>> linguini cutter. It worked pretty well even though the linguini was
>> much too long. I put the linguini in a twisted pile like they do in
>> videos. I just remembered there might be some you tubes on this.
>>
>> I put the roller back and did the next piece of dough but this time
>> cutting it in half again. So now what again? do I roll out all the
>> dough and then cut? That is what I did but I did not lay out the
>> rolled pasta dough straight, I folded it once crossing over the end>
>> under it. I did that 6 times and then put in the cutter.
>
> I didn't really understand all that. For what it's worth I teach to
> roll then cut, leaving a towel over the lumps of unused dough. Many
> don't fold and roll anywhere near enough. Do that on number 1 until the
> pasta sheet, which you have been dusting with flour, feels like damp
> skin.
>
>> I could not separate the dough into a straight piece again and it
>> became a nightmare.
>
> It dried because it was left too long. You can't possibly work fast
> enough the first (100) time to leave pasta sheets around. Nobody cam,
> it's not your fault.
>
> When I finished, everything stuck
>> together.
>
> When your cut pasta exits the cutter, drop it on some flour and gently
> swoosh with your fingers then arrange as you please. Alternatively,
> have a clothes drying rack ready and lay the pasta strings on flour then
> gently transfer onto the rack. They will at least be separate, although
> they also dry quickly.
>
>> I'd appreciate any technique questions. The woman in William Sonoma>
>> said she makes the dough on the counter, making a whole in the>
>> mountain of flour and putting the eggs and water in the hole and>
>> incorporating the flour. She said it makes for lighter pasta. I>
>> wonder if I used too much water.
>
> I am sure you did. Don't add any at all and use her technique. You
> will quickly find that you can't add too much flour, it won't let you.
> The crumbly bits you begin with start to smooth out and become stretchy
> as the egg takes up the flour. It is simply one of the most sensuous
> kitchen chores there is. The more you feel your way through the work,
> the better the pasta. Then refrigerate 30 mins or so in pieces wrapped
> in plastic.


Run a string across from one cabinet knob to another. Buy a set of plastic
coat hangers, clean thoroughly.

Make golfball size dough clumps. Work from 1 to 5 roller settings and then
hang on a hanger. Repeat for all the dough. Then switch to a pasta cutter
and feed each pasta sheet through and re-hang cut pasta. Repeat until done.

Take a hanger of pasta and trim with scissors over the pot of boiling
water.

Suggestion: I add 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric to the dough while mixing to
golden it up a bit. More visually appealing, imho.

Homemade pasta is the most fun mess I can make in the kitchen! ))

Andy