Freshly Made Pasta

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spag_lover

Community Member
May 24, 2013
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I have bought fresh pasta but have always longed to make my own. Does it really taste that much better than the dried pasta? Is it difficult to make, and do you need to buy a special machine?
 
I've never made my own pasta as I always thought it looked really difficult, but I was at a friend's recently and she made fresh pasta from scratch for us, without a machine. It's definitely manageable, I just haven't looked up a recipe yet.
 
I just watched a TV cookery show where people were in competition with each other. One of them made fresh pasta and used a machine to make the sheets of dough really thin before she cut them into ribbons. It looks easy enough but could I justify buying the machine?
 
Make it without a machien then you don't need to worry about the cost. ;) If you do decide to get a machine though, I think you can come by them quite cheap, especially the more traditional hand-operated ones.
 
I bought a really nice pasta making machine at a yard sale, brand new! I absolutely love it! Very simple to make and it does taste better. It's like fresh bread vs. regular bread, they both taste good, but fresh is just better.
 
I'm not Italian but my grandmother and mother used to make their own pasta anyway :) Tagliatelle, to be precise.

They didn't have a pasta machine, everything was done by hand.
Of course, after a while, pasta started to appear on the market so they would just buy it because making it implies a lot of time and effort, as my mom said.

Of course, you can't even compare the fresh home made pasta with the one you buy at the supermarket. Natalie used the perfect comparison, fresh bread vs. supermarket bread. Can't really compare them :D
 
I agree that freshly made pasta is just the best ever. When I'm in the south, my mother in law always makes fresh pasta dishes.

She wakes up early to make the pasta and is very passionate in the kitchen.

Personally, I'm too lazy or don't have the time to make it fresh but I do buy fresh pasta every now and again from the supermarket.
 
my elderly neighbours make there own pasta and make a nut sauce with walnuts which are freely available in the area. they serve it with a bit of ricotta cheese from milk from there own goats. the eggs used in the pasta are from their own hens. they have honey from their own bees and grow all their own fruit and veg - what a life!
 
My Uncle has a few chickens, therefore a regular supply of eggs. One of the main things he uses these in is home made pasta. Unfortunately I haven't been able to try it yet but he absolutely swears by fresh pasta rather than dried.

I have tried to make pasta in the past but must admit I got in rather a mess with it, so haven't tried again.
 
Fresh pasta does look amazing! I always see chefs on the food network making it and they make it look easy! So glad to know it is possible to make without a machine - just don't know if I would have the patience! :0
 
I have always wanted to learn how to make fresh pasta. My cousin makes it and I think it tastes much better than store bought. Someday I will get a pasta machine and learn how to make it. I see it on cooking shows and they seem to make it even under short time allowances. Maybe its not as hard as it looks.
 
I have always thought it would be neat to make my own pasta as well. My Grandma makes noodles occasionally and they are way better than anything you can buy. I only know of one friend who has a pasta machine, but they don't use it that often. I may have to look up how to make pasta without a machine. I like to try new things and don't mind spending a Sunday afternoon doing some cooking so this may be a project that I take on in the near future.

I'll let you all know how it turns out!
 
I don't doubt that there is a lot of satisfaction and fun in making your own.
But in the long term is is really worth the effort?

There are lots of good supermarkets and Italian delis near me that sell fresh pasta and it's not too expensive.

A few years ago, I bought a mincer for beef and for a while I felt very superior making my own mince for bolognese and lasagne. But when I truly compared it with good quality ready minced meat from the shop, there really wasn't much difference and it wasn't cheaper. It just wasn't worth the hassle.
 
Well, I'll tell you the truth :P

If you have to make it yourself, it will take hours and much effort from your part and, in the end, you'll need 10 minutes to eat it... not worth it, with the time spent to make your own pasta you can take a long relaxing walk or do something else.

If your mom or grandma make it, then it's totally worth it!! :D:p
I know it sounds awful, but nothing compares to the pasta my granny used to make! Not even the best pasta factory in the world can match up with the recipes our elderly relatives have (at least in my family).
 
Making pasta is fairly easy, it only takes about an hour and is well worth it. Just search for a basic pasta dough recipe (Mario Batali) has a great recipe I use all the time. It only takes 10 or 15 minutes to mix the flour and 45 minutes to let the dough rest.

I use a simple hand operated pasta machine to run the dough through. The pasta cooks quicker then dried boxed pasta and tastes 10X better.
 
I think the same thing, maybe one day I'll make pasta just to see how easy and tasty it is but I never did :D
Is there a place where you can buy it fresh? Maybe some small shop, if such a shop exists?
Like they have grocery shops, where you find fresh fruit (at a higher price, but what can you do?) they must have something similar for pasta, right?
 
I have never made my own pasta as it is much more easy and comfortable to get it from the stores. But I think it is quite difficult to make your own pasta if you are doing it for the first time. I have watched a cookery show, which says that the technique ids quite simple, but at the same time it is time consuming. I hope one day I would make my own pasta.
 
We usually just make them by hand. Or buy them from the market. You don't need a special machine to make pasta, I think. So you could also just make it by hand with the regular ingredients.
 
I like both fresh and dry pasta. I find for a pasta bake (al forno) dry is better, as the sauces cook the pasta, using fresh pasta can sometimes overdo the dish and the pasta is too sticky. Fresh pasta is good for ravioli or tortellini as it holds the fillings in more or with an oil based sauce.

One day I would love the time and space to make my own pasta, but it's not a possibility right now.
 
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