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Homemade Pasta problem

lliefveld Sep 25, 2009 11:45 AM

I have a Waring Pasta Machine, and made homemade spaghetti for the 1st time yesterday. I used the instructions that came with the machine, and made 1/2 a recipe: 1 3/4 c flour, 1T olive oil, 1 tsp salt and 2 eggs. The eggs were medium-small, but they came to the 1/2 recipe marker in the Waring cup.

When I checked the consistency, it looked too dry (according to their description), and I ended up adding 2 T water. I'm not exactly sure what it's supposed to look like. Their description said 'somewhere between coffee grounds and uncooked rice.

When the spaghetti came out of the extrusion disk, it didn't look 'solid' (can't describe it any other way.. the dough didn't look 'smooshed' together). Once they dried, I thought they would be really hard, like store-bought spaghetti, but they broke apart very, very easily.

I haven't cooked them yet, but it seems like they would just fall apart in the water.

What's wrong? Did I need more liquid?

I should mention that my flour was white whole wheat, so it has the bran in it. I'm pretty sure that's why I needed more liquid.

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  1. jfood RE: lliefveld Sep 25, 2009 12:25 PM

    sounds like you need to knead. pasta dough looks like uncooked rice until you start pushing it together with the heals of your palms. A little water will help create the perfect silky texture.

    2 Replies
    1. re: jfood
      fmcoxe6188 RE: jfood Sep 25, 2009 12:50 PM

      I agree. Whenever Ive made pasta it follows the steps that jfood outlines- and I always continue to wet my hands through the kneading process -adds in incremental amounts of water as it goes- and I can really monitor the texture.
      Mm-now I want to make up some pasta!!

      1. re: jfood
        Ima Wurdibitsch RE: jfood Sep 25, 2009 01:07 PM

        I'm going to agree with jfood and fmcoxe. Kneading really seems to help with the texture. I've also found that whole wheat flour does require more liquid.

      2. s
        smtucker RE: lliefveld Sep 25, 2009 03:14 PM

        I am confused. Isn't extruded pasta made of durum flour and water, while "fresh" cut pasta is made with flour and eggs?

        Will appreciate all clarifications. I have only made fresh cut pasta, so can't help with the extruded stuff at all.

        2 Replies
        1. re: smtucker
          morwen RE: smtucker Sep 25, 2009 07:16 PM

          I had a mix and extrude pasta machine eons ago. It specified durum flour and water. It was okay but it was a bugger to work with and the pasta wasn't the yummy stuff my parents Italian friends were making. Finally one day the machine clogged and the housing cracked. I think it did me a favor. Recently I finally broke down and got a real pasta machine and making the pasta with semolina and eggs turns out the pasta I remember my parents' friends making.

          1. re: smtucker
            mbfant RE: smtucker Sep 26, 2009 05:46 AM

            No confusion. You're right.
            I've never used one of the home extruders, but the whole concept seems wrong-headed. The home pasta machine should be an aid to doing what is best done by hand -- that means pasta sfoglia (i.e., soft wheat and eggs rolled thin and cut). Spaghetti is made with durum wheat and water, period, and is dried under carefully controlled conditions. Freshly made pasta is best used immediately, not home dried.

          2. g
            gizmoprof RE: lliefveld Dec 26, 2013 10:32 AM

            Your recipe looks ok to me. I've made pasta for many, many years. The machines that "extrude" the noodles don't do a good job of "rolling" the dough.

            For the dough to hold up, you need to "knead" the dough by hand. I strongly suggest avoiding the extrusion devices and buy a unit that has rollers to roll the dough flat, and cutters to cut the noodles from the rolled dough.

            Also, a "hard" wheat flour is best for spaghetti (and all pasta). Use semolina or durum wheat flour. If you can't find those, buy a "bread" flour.

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