New pasta maker - questions!

[OverWyreGrower]

Got a new pasta-machine thing for Christmas

Questions (since the instructions for it are sparse!)

Can you freeze pasta dough (before you make it into spaghetti)?
Do you need to cook the pasta shapes etc before freezing them?
Is lasagne just the dough put through the rollers and cut to shape?

Silly questions, I know!

[Nicos]

Never tried to freeze my pasta.....

But yes- lasagne is just rolled pasta tidied up a bit!

[scarey55]

Never tried to freeze my pasta.....

Me neither, but I'm sure it can be frozen - after all it's only eggs, flour and a little olive oil and I always used to freeze the fresh pasta from the supermarket. Certainly wouldn't cook it first though (unless it's part of another meal)

[Tracey]

You could experiment with a small amount and try and dry it. I've heard that airers are good for hanging tagliatelle and spaghetti.

[JennieAtkinson]

I dry mine quite successfully. Just lay it out as best you can on a floured board or better still if you can hang it. If on a floured board turn it occassionally, so the underside gets dried too.

I have two rather large plastic rolls of something that fit quite nicely under the microwave and overhang the kitchen unit so I can hang tagliatelle to dry. (from one of my hoards!!!)

Try a little bit first and see how you get on, but mine stores quite nicely in a container, but not with a tight lid, just a bit of kitchen foil.

Good luck!

[momol]

Hi OWG,

I freeze my pasta dough for later ravioly use, they work fine. As for ready shape pasta, you don't need to cook it prior to freezing but it will be very rewarding if you let it slightly dry before freezing (this way it will prevent them from sticking together when defrosting).
Happy cooking... Momol

[TPeers]

I regularly freeze the pasta we make. As Momol said do let it dry for a while (an hour or two) before bagging and freezing, it will 'freeflow' much better that way.

For long forms such as spaghetti I weigh individual portions, coil them into nests and open freeze for a day before bagging in job lots - that way I can lift out only what I need.

Enjoy

[shirley]

How silly am I ??? never crossed my mind to freeze homemade pasta. Brilliant

[momol]

Shirl,

Actually the ravioly freeze very well too along with other pasta but always slightly dry them first prior to freezing...

Momol

[shirley]

Shirl,

Actually the ravioly freeze very well too along with other pasta but always slightly dry them first prior to freezing...

Momol

thanks I shall def be freezing some

[number 1 suspect]

Freeze it Dry it or eat it.... All these methods work. Bought an electric pasta maker last year. It comes out once a month to make a batch at a time and as i have vacume storage stuff its the best method for me.

Drying before freezing works best. Having a Sicilian mother inlaw is great but she has a real downer on the electric machine......... In my day we had to do it all by hand.....

[Two_Sheds]

until Jamie's programme, I thought Pasta Makers were horribly complicated thingummies. But now I might be converted.
Who's got a good one? I don't want an Ole Cheapo from Arg*s, nor a top of the range Jamie one

[Bren In Pots]

Two Sheds mines not a 'stand alone' one but fixes on the front of my Kenwood chef, we've had it around 15 year-ish and it gets used every Saturday.
Have found out that I get a better mix using 5oz semolina to 4oz flour with a couple of eggs and a dash of oil. Don't use much salt either because I add that to the cooking water.

[Two_Sheds]

I've just found another Thread that says Arg*s have one for half price (£7.49).
Except they don't: the online store and all the local branches are sold out.

[valmarg]

What sort of pasta makers are you meaning OWG? The sort where you just have rollers to roll/cut the pasta, or the type that you put the flour eggs, etc into the bowl, and mix then extrude the dough through the various discs?

valmarg