Having a go at making Pasta at the weekend, using Mr Oliver’s recipe, in one book you rest the pasta for an hour and in another put it straight thru the machine.

What is the consensus of opinion of the hive?

Buy fresh from local deli shop. No longer make pasta as it’s too faffy and messy. Mibbe that’s just me tho

Except for pasta shapes derived from bigger sheets, lasagne, canneloni, ravioli etc, I am not sure of the benefit. I think you see more fresh pasta on sale in London than Italy.

Dried is apparently slightly better for you, according to a Torq article in STW many moons ago.

Just as well I’m a lazy cheapskate 🙂 – do prefer wholewheat anyway, which seems rare fresh.

I let it rest. I also find that J O’s recipe is a bit dry so I chuck an extra egg in to help prevent cracking in the machine.

I only make my own for ravioli. For anything else I use dried.

Only bother when making ravioli or similar, otherwise good quality dried stuff is way easier and just as tasty. I tend to rest mine for a bit, seems to be a bit less sticky when you put it through the machine if you do that. Though there isn’t a huge difference IME!

Mrs J has said I need to make tortellini for her, hence the question.

My bf makes pasta because he enjoys faffing in the kitchen (he used to be a chef and he’s enjoying cooking again!) I do like dried wholewheat pasta though and it is a less messy to cook- open packet, put in pan. Fresh pasta looks like a flour bomb’s gone off in the kitchen 😆

If the management says jump – you better do it… 😉

From what I’ve heard dried pasta is pretty much the norm in Italy, fresh pasta is more marketing hype, but I’d love to have a go a making it myself – it’s on the list of things to do when I’ve got more time.

From what I’ve heard dried pasta is pretty much the norm in Italy, fresh pasta is more marketing hype

Marketing hype? What are you on? Have you been to Italy?

Marketing hype? What are you on? Have you been to Italy?

Yes.

As I understand it, people make fresh pasta and buy dried pasta – the idea of going into a shop and buying ‘fresh’ pasta made in a factory and sealed in a nitrogen filled plastic box is a British thing.

Best fresh pasta: made at home. We generally fight with Marcella Hazan’s recipe (only because we don;t make it very often).

Best dried pasta: make sure it comes from Gragnano.

Hmm. Fancy making some filled pasta this weekend!

1 medium fresh egg per person.
100g 00 flour per person.
Knead thoroughly until elastic. Add /subtract flour to get right consistency – just do it a couple of times and you’ll know when. Think firm bread dough.
Wrap in clingfilm and fridge it for 30 mins.
Roll through machine. Flour if it needs it to not stick.

Pretty good results every time using the above.

Don’t use cheap nasty flour but most importantly a really fresh egg, if you can get one from a farm laid that day it really makes a difference

If the management says jump – you better do it… 🙂

Usually preceded by “How high?”

Got the “Tipo 00” flour in already, just need really fresh eggs…

Will leave it too stand, whatever, so I have a moment to fit another job in…

As I understand it, people make fresh pasta and buy dried pasta – the idea of going into a shop and buying ‘fresh’ pasta made in a factory and sealed in a nitrogen filled plastic box is a British thing.

I heard that italian chef off the telly say this very thing ergo it must be true 8)

Yes.
As I understand it, people make fresh pasta and buy dried pasta

Ah, I understand where you’re coming from now. Makes sense 🙂

Make my own pasta occasionally, miles away from dried and definitely better. Seems to soak up the sauce and absorb flavours better

The resting is because it’s a strong flour, durum wheat has even more gluten than strong bread flour, so needs time for the gluten proteins to develop their elasticity. It’s the same for chapatti flour. Mix, knead, rest, knead again and roll.

When I was in my 20s, my then-girlfriend had a pasta machine. We had a go making tagliatelle. Was a massive faff, ended up with a towel over every chair in their dining room with pasta draped over it. End result was pretty much the same stuff you buy in shops.

Could just’ve been us / our recipe of course, but it was a “never again” for me.