make homemade pasta

My boyfriend got me a “made in italy” pasta maker for Christmas, and it really is one of the best presents that anyone has given me. I can’t wait to make all sorts of pastas from it, and best of all give it to my friends and family!!!

A friend brought me through the process of making pasta. It also included inviting people over and eating it and drinking lots of wine. It was a blast.

Despite my inability to cook, I used to help my mom and nan make homemade pasta. It’s so good that as a child, I would refuse to eat store-bought pasta because it’s so inferior. For anyone who even remotely likes pasta, trying homemade pasta is the best thing you’ll ever taste!

Unfortunately the machine that forms the pasta into shape often breaks so eventually, my family gave up on making it on a regular basis and I haven’t had it in a long time.

Anyone who loves cooking and loves Italian food should definitely make their own pasta at least once. I received a hand-crank pasta maker as a gift, and I’ve had a grand ol’ time with it! Don’t get me wrong, it’s a bit of a process, so I’m sticking with dried pasta for everyday meals. The difference is really amazing, though; it’s just flour, eggs, and water, but when made fresh, it’s so good I could almost do without sauce! For a special meal, I’m definitely going with homemade from now on.

Step 1: Try to attach pasta maker to edge of counter. Realize that counter edge is too narrow, except in one corner where knuckles scrape against other counter edge every time crank is turned. Forget to put towel underneath to prevent machine sliding around. Start over. Puzzle over how to connect attachments, since instructions to fancy gadget are in Italian.

Step 2: Gather ingredients. Realize that the flour jar is empty. Momentarily wonder how dessert pasta made with powdered sugar, of which there is an inexplicable abundance, would taste instead. Realize that’s nuts, go to grocery store for flour.

Step 3: Mix ingredients. Fling flour indiscriminately on counter, self, etc., while attempting to knead gooey mess into a smooth dough. “Attempting” is the operative word here.

Step 4: Process dough through machine, praying not to tear or otherwise maim it. Realize that what should be a smooth rectangle is in fact a lumpy oval. Check settings, realize you did it wrong. Notice metal shavings in the dough because you forgot to clean out the teeth of the new machine before using it. Start over at Step 1.

I should stop here… this makes it sound scary instead of wonderful, which it is!

I’m about to receive my grandmother’s pasta maker.