I use a regular dowel rolling pin that is 2-1/2" diameter by about 24" long (no handles) when I roll out pasta dough by hand. If I have a large amount of pasta, I divide it into manageable amounts for rolling. Normally I use a pasta machine like Islay, but for gnocchi, I use a rolling pin, as the dough tears too easily. I cannot imagine using a 4' pin - I think that would be awkward to control.

I was waiting for someone else with more experience to chime in. My long rolling pin is actually meant for fondant. It's 20", stainless steel, and heavy, and a little thinner than the 14" wood one I use for pie. The principle is the same no matter what you're rolling. If you can, you want a rolling pin that's long enough to cover the whole rolled width of your dough. As Lars alluded, if you have too much dough for your board or pin, divide it and roll in smaller batches. For some pastas, it's good to be able to roll as long and wide as you can. I think this is the meaning of the amount of the pasta is the determining factor; it can go either way with a bigger pin for more dough and smaller one for less, but that's which one to use if you have many. With just one, you use the size you have and match your dough ball to the amount that rolls well with it.

Your surface is more important than your rolling pin. Do you have a big, wide island? A table that's high enough for you to roll on? A 4' long rolling pin isn't going to do you any good if you're using it on a 2' deep counter. It'll just get in your way as you bump into the wall. If you have a narrow table, will a wide pin be hanging over the edge and run you off onto the floor?

All of the ones I've seen are just dowels. That is, they're not tapered or anything. Just rounded a little at the edges so they're not sharp, and heavily sanded, polished and oiled. You could make your own easily with a few inexpensive materials from the lumber yard.

Here is a lesson in rolling out pasta dough using a wide rolling pin. You have to have a large surface to roll it out, and when you are done, you still have to cut it into manageable portions. I guess the advantage is that all the dough gets rolled out at once instead of in batches. I do have a large enough counter to do this, but not a large enough board (or rolling pin), and the point is to use a wooden surface and pin to make a rougher dough. Therefore my quartz countertop would make a pasta that is as smooth as what I get from the pasta machine. However, I have never noticed that my pasta was too smooth for the sauce to adhere.

Good point, Lars! When using a smooth pin, one should use a sock (knitted tube cover, not something you'd put over your feet, though if you don't have a cotton rolling sock, you could cut the foot off a nylon stocking and it would probably work) and when rolling on a smooth counter, one uses a pastry cloth. If you don't have a wide enough one, choose a heavy linen or cotton canvas so it won't bunch up as you roll. Flour well. Makes cleanup easier. :) The old grannies often used linen bedsheets (broadcloth) but they were a lot coarser than is usually made nowadays.

Somehow, I don't think the Italians make too great a fuss about rolling out their pasta. Most Italians use shop bought, machine produced, dried pasta as they say it's more suitable for most recipes, so I'm not too worried about using my machine :) And, the sauce sticks too LOL

Thanks for the replies and video. I don't have a large kitchen, but I
will be either constructing or purchasing a large pasta board. As for
me, I have nothing against store-bought pasta. I'm doing this simply
because I want to learn how to make pasta from scratch. I don't have
anything against using a machine, but I don't have room for another
machine. Personally, I prefer not to use machines when I can use my
hands. For my space and my personal needs, a wooden pasta board and
pasta rolling pin make the most sense.

I do have two places
in mind that offer pasta rolling pins with sock so I guess I'll go ahead
and contact them. I was just hoping to get more information here
before placing an order, especially regarding the one egg, two egg,
three egg rule for the rolling pin length (or something like that).

Thanks again for the feedback.

My great-auntie taught me to make "one egg noodles" (hand cut pasta) and that could be rolled with a standard pastry sized rolling pin. Two eggs noodles pretty much covered a whole pastry board and was still rolled out with a standard rolling pin because that's what she had. I wouldn't even want to deal with three eggs. :) I'd make several batches of one egg.

Extrapolating from my experiences with Auntie M, I'm guessing that you need about a foot per egg, maybe 14", but really it's about making what fits in your kitchen.

Did you watch the ou tube films? As Plllog says, you can use any old rolling pin just to try and see if you like it.

A pasta machine needs less room than a rolling pin :)

Here is a helpful video showing a very large rolling pin, ending up with a sheet of pasta that looks like a tablecloth.

Fantastic video! and the other listed at the end..."...di nonna Elena"

(had to watch more!)

To miscel- rolling that way takes some skill i see. Seems it takes some time to achieve and knowing the amount of pasta comes in time as well. We roll our own pasta, for different needs, and cut the amount needed as we go using the hand crank roller. We use Marcella Hazan's recipe. Important for us to use 'oo' flour, a tender, soft flour. farina di grano tenero.

Thanks for the videos, I enjoyed watching them. Actually, watching the videos only confirmed that I will enjoy the making the pasta by hand. I enjoy rolling things. =) I like making my own pate brisee by hand so this is a continuation of my journey for rolling more dough. I know that this will require some practice and acquiring a feel for the pasta and rolling, but I think it'll be fun challenge.

Fantastic video. Love the fact that the recipe is so simple - no messing about : 100g flour, to an egg.

I've been to Bologna and it's wonderful!

I wonder how many people you can feed with an enormous sheet of pasta like that? !!!