I don't make "pasta" other than egg noodles, which I still roll out and cut by hand. I've never used a pasta machine, so I'm curious as to the replies you'll get here.

annie

Happen to have three of them! Two hand cranks and one that is an attachment to my KA mixer.

Rarely use the KA attachment but we do use the hand crank often and just love it. We make our own lasagna, spaghetti a fettuccine and ravioli, although mostly I use won ton wrappers for ravioli. I use dry pasta too but find for a more delicate sauce you just can't beat hand made.

I have an Altas (I think that's what it's called) hand crank. I love it but admit it doesn't get much use. I buy what little pasta we use. I should think about getting it out soon.

May I take this fine opportunity to inform those of you that use a pasta machine, especially if you don't use it often, to be very careful as they often become full of bugs inside the machine cutters and nether regions, which DO come in contact with your dough. The bugs are attracted by the dried flour and dough. Speaking from experience, if you were to take apart your machine (meaning using a screw driver), you might be shocked as to what you come across - including bug webs, shells, etc. My machine was even kept in a plastic bag ... Yuk!

arline

i have been making my own macaroni for the last 20+ years with the same hand-cranked mercato machine i started with on my first attempt. i love it. it gets used quite often and for various types. i have my dad's mom's chitarra that i use as well.

if i use any dried macaroni, it's barillo.

maryanne

I used to make my own pasta all the time but in our last move my the housing was cracked on my electric pasta maker and I've not found one I like to replace it. I am about to give up and just buy a hand crank model.

BTW, I dried my pasta on our stairway hand rail and it worked perfectly!

Michelle

I make my own pasta, and while I have 2 hand crank pasta machines, prefer to roll and cut by hand.

You see, you cannot wash those machines--and there is NO WAY I'd ever feed my family food that was prepared on a dirty piece of equipment that had touched raw egg previously. So to me, they're one use only items.

As to the bugs in the machine? Keeping it in plastic wouldn't prevent that--there are weevil eggs in virtually all grain products (flour, cereal, rice, cake mixes, etc) you buy, so the flour you used to make and dust your dough already had the eggs in it. They just got comfortable in the pasta machine and hatched.

Back to the by hand vs. machine thing--I find it's a lot faster to roll out dough by hand than to get the Atlas out, set it up, roll the dough several times through the rollers, set up the cutting blades, and so forth.... takes me half the time to grab a rolling pin and do it by hand.

Azzalea, you've convinced me. And Arline's story grossed me out just enough to give up the idea of adding more equipment to my already stuffed kitchen. I've been dealing with arthritis lately, and thought this might be easier, but think I may just wait to make it on days I'm more flexible. I am still able to roll my noodles paper thin, so I'll just keep with my old method.

I'm glad to know there are so many of who like to make pasta! Thanks for helping me keep it simple.

interesting on the bugs and machine. i guess i must be really anal about cleaning my equipment, maybe that's why it's lasted as long as it has and it certainly gets a considerable amount of use.

maryanne

I mill durum wheat into flour to make wholegrain egg noodles. I cut noodles with a handcrafted cherry (wood) noodle cutter my husband gave me (available from Lehman's - looks like a rolling pin with ridges) which cut noodles 3/8" wide. I put them in the dehydrator for dried noodles.

I had a pasta maker attachment on an old stand mixer I was given, but it was a mess to work with, as well as a mess to clean.

Since we use very little pasta, this method works well for me.

-Grainlady

Here is a link that might be useful: Lehman's - Noodle Cutter

I have a Pasta Queen pasta machine, and I take it apart to clean it (with a dry brush), and I've never noticed any bugs in it. I would not want to be without it. I use it for lasagna, fettuccine, and ravioli mostly.

Lars

Clair: Only you would know if it will be used enough.
If you are good at rolling out the dough, then why bother, with the dough roller.
Besides ,you will get better at it as you go.
I use 1 inch dowel 24" long, instead of a rolling pin.
That's what most of our grandmother's used.( a Broomstick )
Keep the dough floured so it don't stick. You can stretch the dough outwards, as you roll it.
It only takes a minute to roll some out.
I just use a Pizza Cutter for Lasagne.
And a Large Tomatoe can with the heavy rim cut off, for the Ravioli's.
That's only because I like the Half Moon shape.
I use all the crazy pieces, for a batch of macaroni.

Otherwise, cut them Square and make a trangle Ravioli.

They used a Macaroni Guitar years ago,to make a sort of Linquine.
It was a lot of steel wires, spaced about 1/8 in. apart, stretched tight.
You would lay the rolled out dough on the wires and run a rolling pin over it.
The Linquine would fall thru, to the table.
Then they were hung over a 3 foot long X 1" wooden dowel,
which was suspended between 2 chairs.
Later it was moved to another room and hung by 2 wires, to dry.
All this sounds like a lot of work but it is not.
Now I make Pasta just for Ravioli's.
I sold my Macaroni Guitar years ago when all the different style macaroni came to be.
Now, I wish I had it, to hang on the wall.

Summary of this situation, after careful consideration of the Facts :

Roll your own, if you are not going to make it too often.
It sounds better, than saying I used a Macaroni, Cranker Outer.
If you are going to use it often, once in a while, borrow a friends.

Lou said all of that and don't even have time for this.

Grainlady, I love your cherry wood noodle pin. It's not only beautiful, it looks like it would certainly do the trick and in record time, too. It seems like it might also be easier on my hands than cutting noodles the way I have been. Thanks for that link.

Lars, it's fun to know you use your pasta machine and even clean it too! That's a good tip about cleaning it with a dry brush. If I ever run across one cheap (secondhand), I'll keep that in mind. Knowing me, I'd try it once and declare myself done.

Lou, that's very good advice; thank you! I have seen a Macaroni Guitar, and agree that would be very cool to hang on your wall. I'm glad you took the time to say all that, whether or not you had the time!

I've got a garage sale hand roller that I've used a couple times, but have been meaning to get a new one because I often get black streaks of "grease" on the pasta that I end up cutting off. Maybe that grease is bug mulch? Nice. Mine is riveted and barely comes apart, so I guess I'll look for something more cleanable.

Nothing compares with fresh pasta, but I got rid of a selodm used Atlas hand-roller, then wished I'd kept it. Now I have a used Macato (sp?) but, especially after today's bugs-inside info, I'd prefer the "guitar" thing some of you have or have had. I've printed the description I found here, & would love a picture to joannarbor@hotmail.com, as well as hints on what kinds of years-of-use damage would render it unusable.

Oh, forgot to mention, I do have a chitarra (the 'guitar' thing mentioned a few times above. It's great, for making fine pasta, and easy to clean.

If anyone's looking for one, you might try Fante's in the Italian Market in Philadelphia. They also have a website, and I've purchased both at their store and mail order from them, and always been totally satisfied. I got my chitarra there some years back, believe it was under $30, but it's been a while.

I make my own pasta once or twice a year, usually for a big family dinner. I make the pasta in my food processor and flatten and cut it with my hand crank pasta maker. I love it, it's easy to use and easy to clean (and it was cheap). It clamps to my counter, so I don't have to chase it.

There's nothing like fresh pasta, is there. And now that I have a garden, I'm making pasta sauce with all my tomatoes. Along about February this will be a nice treat.

Azzalea: You forgot to say in your first thread.
" Hey, what can I say, I'm Italian "
I forgot about Fontes. I think they are in the 1000 Block of 9th st.
There was another place I bought my Pizzelle baker and other things, at around 13th and Bainbridge.
I don't know if they are still there.
We talked about all these places on another thread.
Fontes sounds better. I have to go on the web and see what they have.
I didn't know they still made the Chitarra " Guitar "

Joann : It is very simple. Mine was made of Hardwood.
There was a block of wood (about2 inches square X about 12 inches long on each end, about 18 inches apart.
The steel wires went from one block to the other and attached at each end. They were stretched tight,
by tightening wing nuts.
You could actually run your fingernail across and strum a note.
But if you did it too much , you got a knot on your head, with a Wooden Grandmom Spoon.
If I find a picture of one, I'll post it or send it email.
Or both !

Live better electrically! That's my motto lol
Of course I have an electric pasta maker but it doesn't see the light of day much anymore. Not that it doesn't work well because it does but more the fact that buying dried pasta is a lot less work.

Hawk,--I'm sitting here laughing. The thing is, I'm NOT Italian (German and English). It's a huge compliment that you think I am, though, especially when talking about food. Few people on this planet are better, more generous cooks, IMO.

Of course, anyone who grows up in the Phila/So Jersey area is at least a little Italian at heart, regardless of their actual birth heritage, right? And we're all used to, and appreciate authentic, quality ingredients to make our Italian food.

Here's the site for the chitarra. I learn something every day from here.

Thanks!

Here is a link that might be useful: Chitarra from Fante's

lou, would that have been guinta's you are thinking about? a well stocked messy store LOL, little old man and woman who lived upstairs. not in business anymore, at least i can't find him. there's a new butcher in the reading terminal market with the same name, but there was no connection when i asked one of the workers.

maryanne

Here is a picture of a Chitarra:

Can you adjust the chitarra to make different sized pasta or is it one-size-fits-all?

I never had any trouble with bugs in my pasta maker either. I bought it while living in bug heaven FL and used it for over 16 years until the housing was cracked in the moving van.

Michelle

It's not adjustable, but mine is strung with wires on top and bottom. One side is wider, one is narrower, so you have a choice of 2 sizes, depending upon which side you use to cut the pasta. On one side, an inch equals 8 strips of pasta, on the other, it's 12.

Azzalea: Didn't you know, the combination of German and English is Italian.

Michelle: That is a little more elaborate than the one I had. It was made; I think, in the late 20's. but like

Pkguy said, live electrically. That's what I thought at the time
BUT I wish I never had sold the Chitarra.

I can still picture my Grandmother rolling the Pasta and making Ravioli's. Of course, I helped by pinching the ends with a fork.

By the time you get out your equipment and get set up,
I can have the dough made, rolled out and start to cut and fill the Ravioli's.
I even sold the Alluminum Ravioli mold and used a Perculator top to cut the circles.

Maryanne: I just told someone about the store. I didn't know they were out of business.

Claire of the Moon : I think it is a nicer picture; for the next generation, to watch someone rolling out dough by hand and remember ,that.

Azzalea; You had a choice of 2 sizes ??? Now that's Modern Living.

LOU

DS has talked about wanting a pasta maker. Should I talk him out of it? I was thinking of getting him one for Christmas. He's in culinary school, so maybe it would help him with his classes, but I think he just wants one, whether for classes or not. Hmmmm, what to do? He's really had sanitation drilled into him in class, and I'm always getting scolded by him for not cleaning things properly. LOL. If I tell him about the bug thing, he may change his mind, or decide he wants one of those Chitarras He like to play guitar, so he could always use it as an instrument if he doesn't like using it for pasta. ;-)

Sally

We have a Restaurant that I love to go to that has home made pasta. I especially love the Ravioli's. This thread, unless I can put it out of my mind, has ruined it for me. I don't think I can ever enjoy it again thinking about webs, bugs, unwashed raw egg. :(