Homemade Pasta

A Short Tale of Pasta and Self-Made Pasta
Spaghetti, macaroni, alfredo, tortellini, lasagna, tagliatelle, penne – do any of these titles ring a bell to you? If they do, then you’re probably a pasta lover much like myself. You simply can’t go wrong with pasta. You can flavor pasta any way you want to. Whether you use a pre-made sauce or you make your own sauce. Some pasta can even be delightfully delicious with a spritz of olive oil and some seasoning. There simply is no wrong way to make pasta. You can bake it, you can boil it, you can even fry some of it. You can choose fun shapes and styles, or you can stick with traditional pasta. If there’s something creative to be done with pasta, I’ve tried it, and it’s all so good!

With all of this time at home lately, I’ve gotten into making things from home as much as possible. This gives me some control over the quality and the ingredients. Self-made pasta is absolutely one of the best things I’ve ever done.

So Simple & Delicious!
Making pasta at home is really easy. It takes very few ingredients and it doesn’t take a lot of time either. Plus, there is just something truly incredible about the flavor of fresh pasta. Also you can make a bunch at once and even freeze it for later. You can make your pasta with a traditional egg and flour mixture or you can make veggie pasta. This makes your go-to pasta just a little bit healthier. Of course, you can make fresh noodle veggies too, but this process just incorporates veggies into your traditional pasta style.

Here are some of the vegetables I’ve been successful incorporating into my homemade pasta.

• Spinach
• Tomato
• Carrot
• Zucchini
• Fresh herbs & spices
• Beets

These are just a few that I have tried. You hardly notice the vegetable flavor in the pasta but it’s a great way to sneak in those veggies, especially if you have kids like mine that blatantly refuse to eat their veggies on a regular basis like mine.

Man or Machine?
Making pasta is really quite simple, whether you do it by hand or you use a machine. I have many favorite pasta recipes and I’ve made pasta both ways. Making it by hand requires kneading and rolling and cutting and while the efforts are well worth the results, I like simplicity. I definitely recommend investing in a pasta machine and just doing it the easier way! You still have total control of your noodles and what goes into them, you just get some extra help with the hard parts. You can find pasta machines that you crank manually or that operate automatically when plugged in.

I spent a lot of time pouring over the options before I made an ultimate decision. I did some research and looked for the best options with high ratings and feedback that promised a positive experience. In the end, I went with the Marcato pasta maker, which is in the top 3 pasta makers on the market. This particular pasta maker has a manual crank that allows you to control the length and size of your pasta, as well as how quickly the pasta is made.

I loved it from the beginning! It’s sturdy and simple to use. It does take a little bit of practice to get your pasta just right but after a few uses, you will be a pro and you will know just what works best for your preferences. This pasta makes, or any pasta maker for that matter, is quite the investment. They can cost a lot of money but, trust me, you won’t be sorry. A pasta maker is a great addition to the tool collection in any kitchen.

Is Fresh Really Best?
You can’t really compare fresh pasta to dry pasta. Yes, they are exorbitantly different but they are each great in their own way. Fresh pasta is designed to steal the show. It’s perfect for times when you’re making your own sauce, particularly a lightly flavored sauce. The key with fresh pasta is the pasta is meant to stand out. You don’t want to cover it up with heavy sauces, although you totally can. If you’re making pasta that has intensely flavorful or hearty sauce, then dry pasta will be sufficient because the sauce will be the focus of the meal.

It’s impossible to say whether fresh is truly best. Just know that there’s a time and place for each kind of pasta and they are both great in their own right. Even though I’ve recently jumped on the fresh pasta bandwagon, I still use dry pasta for things like lasagna and spaghetti. When it comes down to it, just consider the quality of the pasta that you’re after. If you’re purchasing dry pasta, stick to the reliable high-quality pasta so you don’t end up disappointed when you decide to forego the fresh for a specific dish.

Bon Appétit
Pasta can easily be labeled as one of my favorite foods and I know I am not alone. Self-made pasta is one of the better things I’ve tried. It’s worth every bit of effort you put into it. But, honestly, it really doesn’t take that much effort. The ingredients are things you most likely have on hand at home anyway and it only takes a few minutes. I say it’s time for you to give self-made pasta a try!