Fresh pasta

[grahamhobbs]

The last time I made fresh pasta it turned out like leather, it was inedible. I thought I made it exactly as normal, eggs, flour, water - would could I have done wrong?

The only thing I thought was the flour (supposedly proper pasta flour) was a bit old.

What is the secret of making really light melt in the mouth pasta?

[contadina]

Always best to make the dough by hand so you can tell when it feels silky (=melt in the mouth pasta) . This way you can tell when the pasta feels right or whether you need to add more eggs or water or flour or whatever.

[red]

i dont bother to buy special; flour any more - just good quality plain flour.

i reckon on 1 egg to 100g flour per person, but you need to feel it and adjust.

[grahamhobbs]

Contadina and Red thanks for your replies, I always make it by hand, previously it has been fine and this last time when I was making it, I don't think it felt any different, but when cooked it was so tough. It was so awlful it has put me right off making it and I have lost my confidence.

Perhaps it was the flour, or maybe too much egg not enough water, I am not certain. How much water would you use?

[red]

i dont use any water. just flour and eggs

[ElizabethBinary]

I don't use water either and I use the same recipe as above and always have...

[grahamhobbs]

Thanks everyone, I checked I used exactly the same recipe, one egg to 100g flour. So unless I did something wrong when mixing, I assume it must have been the flour.

[frozenthunderbolt]

I just made fresh pasta for the first time recently and it was great. I used 3 cups of sifted flour and 4 eggs. i also added maybe a teaspoon of cold water to help it bind. i think if i had more patience i wouldn't have really needed it though.
I then rested the dough for 1/2 an hour and rolled it out as thin as i could and sliced it with my shintoku knife.
straight into a pot of boiling water and it was great!
ate it with a home made tomato sauce and a good double handful of chopped herbs.

[theabsinthefairy]

I normally rest my dough after I have rolled it out into the thin long sheets, for about 30 mins, so that it dries out a little, then run it through the cutter and then cook it immediately after cut.

grahamhobbs - maybe it was the cooking time?

[red]

its true - fresh pasta takes much less cooking time

[grahamhobbs]

Thanks everyone, I don't think I over-cooked it, it was tough from the minute it was put in the water.

I think I'm just going to overcome my fright and make some again, with fresh flour this time. As I say it was so disgusting I've lost my confidence. But there is nothing for it but to try again.

Thanks again to all you have tried to pinpoint potential problems.

[ElizabethBinary]

Hey I hope you don't mind this tiny threadjack but I didn't want to make a whole new thread for a yes or no question that could easily fit here.

I want to make my homemade pasta (above recipe) and then put it in the dehydrator to keep it... will that work like shop bought dried pasta? It would be nice to always have it on hand like that.. would save me heaps of time, health and money.

[Squirrel46]

I generally use Jamie Oliver's method; one medium egg to 100g of pasta flour.
In a processor for a few seconds until it looks like breadcrumbs; test it by sticking your finger in, if its too dry add just a little water, too wet a little more flour!
Knead it till it goes silky. Seven time through the wide roller setting and reduce it slowly. Good results every time (so far)!

[Calum]

^^ that works for me too, it's the ratio I've always used.

[southeast-isher]

this might help:

:-)