Pasta Maker Machine

From our Pasta Loving Foodie Fan Faye…

Pasta is one of the foods that people all over the world have enjoyed, are enjoying, and will continue to be enjoyed for the many years to come. The history of this Italian delicacy is as tangled as spaghetti noodles. However, we will try to discuss this with the aim to arrive at sure answers to the questions: How did pasta come about and where did it come from?

Pasta History

According to mythology, there was a Roman God named Vulcan. The said God was able to invent machinery that is capable of cutting dough into thin strips.  However, a little bit of confusion stirred among this reference as there is no evidence with Ovid’s written works that the God indeed was able to make such machine.  But, there is a sort of validity that the Romans together with the Greeks were able to discover a certain dough which is flattened.  This dough though may seem to be associated more with another Italian specialty, pizza, because they roast it over hot stones or something like ovens instead of boiling it like what we usually do with pasta noodles.  Another support to the claim was added by Apicius, a Roman writer, who described a certain kind of food or pasta for that matter that was made “to enclose timballi and pies”. Such kind of food was called “lagana” and with the description, we can associate it with the modern lasagna.

The origin of pasta was also linked to the early Arab civilization. In the Jewish Talmud, there was a record of boiling noodles. The said record was written in Aramaic in the 5th century A.D. With such an early date, historians think that this is the first record and sure proof that pasta existed even in the earliest years and civilizations. The term for noodles in the record was “itriyah”. When translated to Arabic, the term would essentially mean dried noodles purchased from a vendor. This translation led to the speculation of historians that pasta noodles at that time were not homemade and fresh but were portable instead. It was also thought that pasta was acquired by the Arabs when they were able to conquer Sicily. Furthermore, there was a geographer, also an Arab, who wrote that “flour-based product in the shape of strings was produced in Palermo, then in the Arab dominion.” Going back to Sicily, historians think that the Sicilian word “maccaruni” is the origin of the pasta variety macaroni.

One of the greatest theories about the history of pasta was the well-known return of Marco Polo from his travels in Asia particularly in China. The Chinese civilization has been eating a certain kind of noodles made from millet since 2000 B.C. and proof was discovered by archaeologists when they found preserved noodles over 4000 years of age. But the tale was disregarded as pasta is made from durum wheat and not from millet. Another thing that caused historians to disregard this theory was the year of Marco Polo’s arrival. He was dated to have come back to Italy in 1295 but, there was a Genoese soldier which had a list of inventory in his basket and included dried pasta in the year 1279, hardly 16 years earlier than the return of the famous Marco Polo. The conflict of dates may be there but we can be certain that indeed Marco Polo encountered Chinese noodles and may have introduced them in Italy, but it could not have been the kind of pasta that we all know. On the other hand, dried pasta, like that of the Genoese soldier’s account, became more famous around the 14th and 15th centuries. Records from 15th century Italian and Dominican monasteries revealed this. By the 17th century, pasta, particularly dried pasta became a lot more famous.

With this long list of myths and tales regarding the history of pasta, we can only be certain of one thing. Italy has the perfect kind of soil to grow durum wheat which is the primary ingredient in making authentic pasta noodles. With that, we can probably conclude that pasta primarily originated in Italy with the influences of various early civilizations and countries.

Basic Pasta Noodle Making

Everybody loves a good pasta recipe but we should know first how to make homemade pasta. In Italy, pasta makers are divided when it comes to pasta noodles. While the Northern inhabitants are fond of using freshly-made pasta noodles, the Southerners prefer dried pasta noodles made from durum wheat. If you want to make a dried pasta noodle, make sure you have the right set of ingredients. You will need eggs, flour, durum wheat, and water. However, if you want to make fresh pasta noodles, you would not need the durum wheat anymore. You will just have to add milk.

In trying to create the dough, you have to watchfully mix it. But first, you have to begin by making a volcano-like shape with the flour. Make sure you create a hole in the center where you can pour the eggs and milk. Using one hand, ideally your strong hand; try mixing the dough. On the other hand, use your remaining hand in trying to keep the eggs in the right place as they will have the tendency to spread and run through. If you do not like the hassle of doing so, you may just do the mixing in a bowl large enough to accommodate your ingredients. There are times that you have to add more flour when it becomes a little too moist, while you have to add water when it becomes crumbly. When you arrive at the right consistency, not too dry and not too moist, you may start kneading. Use both hands this time in rolling, twisting, and folding your dough. Take at least 10 to 15 minutes in doing this. After it gets a little elastic, you may shawl your fresh pasta dough with a plastic wrap.

Just about 30 minutes after covering it, you can already start rolling your pasta dough. You may use the traditional rolling pin but that would take you a lot of time. Italian pasta makers make use of pasta machines with two stainless rollers that allow the dough to become ideally thin. If you are done in this process, hang your pasta dough and let it semi-dry. If you would not do this, the dough may not separate right away when cut.

After the drying process, you may then cut your pasta with the use of a pasta maker. Pasta makers are included with cutters so you won’t have a problem with even cutting. But, if you’d like, you may also cut manually with a knife.  After which, dry again your pasta noodles for optimum shelf-life. Speaking of shelf-life, you can keep your homemade pasta noodles for up to one month. Just be sure that you store it when it is perfectly dry already. Just put in an uncovered bowl and place it in a cabinet that is dry.

Colored Pasta

Making fresh pasta noodles is made even more fun and artistic when they are in color.  To make green pasta noodles, add finely cut spinach. Black pasta can also be made with the aid of squid ink. This is particularly common to Japanese chefs. On the other hand, if you would like to paint your pasta noodles red, you may do so by using colored water from which beetroots are cooked. Lastly, make sunshiny yellow pasta by putting saffron or kurkuma into your dough mix. There are some other ways to achieve this colours, it’s just a matter of imagination and creativity. You can even make chocolate-coloured pasta noodles with the use of chocolate of course!

Pasta Varieties

Literally, there are over hundreds of pasta varieties. We can easily categorize them by their sizes and distinctions.

Long pasta

This type of pasta noodle is characterized by a cylindrical shape in general which makes it easy to be manipulated by fork when being eaten. The thickness varies though from the thinnest angel hair to the thick and hollow bucatini. Common types are:

• Spaghetti- one of the oldest known pasta shapes which are long and thin in strands.
• Spaghettoni- a larger version of spaghetti. A smaller one also exists known as spaghettini.
• Vermicelli- when translated to English, this means little worms.
• Perciatelli- a thick and hollow long strand of pasta.
• Fusilli Bucati- a long and curled type of pasta. When cooked, this is particularly bouncy; perfect for kids.

Short pasta

Contrary to the first variety, short pasta is basically characterized by small sizes of noodles whether cut in tubes, shaped in shells, or stuffed. Examples are:

Tube Pasta

• Gomito- bent pasta tubes commonly known as elbow macaroni.
• Garganelli- pasta much like the penne type but is rougher-looking.
• Gemelli- basically this is an S-shaped pasta consisting twisted strands of pasta noodles.
• Manicotti- large and tube-shaped noodles which can be stuffed.
• Penne-one of the most popular pasta shapes, this refers to tubes of pasta that are cut diagonally.
• Rigatoni- this is also a popular shape characterized by tubes of ridged pasta noodles.
• Trenne- this refers to a triangular version of the penne cut.
• Tortiglioni- a tube cut pasta more commonly used in baked pasta dishes.
• Ziti- this is a medium sized pasta shape which has a hose-like characteristic and is commonly served in traditional Italian weddings.

Shaped Pasta

• Campanelle- this is a bell-shaped pasta which has a frilly edge on one end and considered as one of the most creatively shaped pasta noodles.
• Cavatelli- short and solid pasta noodle which is often described by a lot of pasta patrons as “hot dog buns”.
• Farfalle- another popular pasta shape commonly referred to as bow ties. Sometimes, patrons refer to this as butterfly pasta.
• Fiori- a pasta in shape of a flower.
• Lanterne- a pasta featuring a curve shape and curved ridges.
• Maltagliati- this pasta literally means badly cut. Characterized by roughly chopped pasta, they do not conform to a particular shape.
• Orecchiette- translates to “small ears”, this type is often used when the sauce has a heavy and rich consistency.
• Radiatori- simply translates to “radiators”, this pasta features an unstuffed square shape with ridges pointing outward.
• Rotelle- pasta taking the shape of wagon wheels.
• Rotini- a type of pasta which is 2-edged and spiral in shape.

Stuffed Pasta

• Agnolotti- features a semi-circular pocket thus, can be stuffed with ricotta and other cheeses mixed with select meat.
• Fagottini- a type of pasta which is made from a round of dough gathered into bundles. This can be stuffed with cheeses like ricotta or fruits like fresh cut pears.
• Pelmeni- a pasta of Tartar origin consisting of a filling wrapped in thin dough.
• Ravioli- another famous pasta cut, this is considered as the favourite stuffed pasta of many. Some stuff it with different cheeses, meat, or a mixture of the two.
• Tortellini- a stuffed pasta in ring shape often filled with cheese.
• Spatzle- an irregularly shaped pasta which, is German in origin.
• Gnocchi- another irregularly shaped pasta that is round and often created with potatoes.

Minute Pasta

• Acini de Pepe- a bead-like pasta.
• Alfabeto- a type of pasta perfect for the kids. Shaped in alphabets, they will surely have fun munching on this.
• Farfalline- bow tie in shape that is minute in size.
• Stortini- smaller version of elbow macaroni.
• Tarhana- granular and irregular in shape. This pasta is Turkish in origin.

These are just some of the popular pasta varieties. As you may know, you can choose from over 350 different pasta noodles in various length, sizes, and stuffing. Talk about diversity!

Pasta Sauces and Common Recipes

Since we know now the different pasta noodles, we shall move on towards cooking the perfect pasta sauce. Again, everything starts with the proper amount of ingredients.

Tomato Pasta Sauce

Basic pasta sauces can make use of tomato sauce. The use of tomato in pasta can be traced back in the 14th century particularly 1519 when a Spanish native by the name of Cortez brought tomatoes to Europe from his voyage in Mexico.           Nobody knew how pasta met tomato but eventually, the two did and pasta became changed forever. In 1839, the Duke of Buonvicino, Ippolito Cavalcanti, offered a recipe for “’vermicelli co le pommodoro” and after that, a lot of fabulous dishes have been created with tomatoes.

At first though, pasta was eaten dry and without sauce. Because of this, people were using their hands in eating it but when the birth of tomatoes and tomato sauce arrived, people started digging into their pasta with fork. With this, we must say that tomatoes brought table manners more than flavor for pasta lovers!  Nowadays, cooking pasta with tomato sauce is made easy with canned sauces already made available for purchase. However, for some pasta lovers they prefer making their sauces from scratch. Making tomato sauce from scratch can be a tedious task but it will surely be worth all the effort once you taste it with your favourite pasta noodles. All you need are the freshest tomatoes, spices, various cheeses, and sometimes red wine.

Creamy Pasta Sauce

Aside from tomato sauce, another basic pasta sauce is carbonara. It is characterized by a creamy sauce, without tomatoes. The sauce is otherwise made from cream, milk, bacon, ham and parmesan. The history of how carbonara pasta started is quite an anecdote. It is said to begin during the World War II when US troops were stationed in Italy. They had the usual ration of bacon, eggs, ham, and some milk. The troops used these as for barter and what the Italians did was they were able to invent a sauce made from cream and milk added with ham and eggs. The sauce was added with pasta and voila, there came carbonara!  The dish became very popular in Italy as a variation to the traditional pasta with tomato sauce came about. The US troops also loved it while they were stationed there and as soon as they got back to the States, they shared the recipe and became well-known there. That’s how we know now the famous carbonara.

Pesto Pasta Sauce

Alternatively, there is another pasta sauce that everybody seems to love.  That sauce is pesto! Pesto originated in Genoa, a region in the northern part of Italy. The English translation of the sauce refers to pounding or crushing. Long before, the ingredients of the sauce were pounded using a mortar and pestle but now in the modern times, the ingredients are grounded. The history of the sauce began when the ancient Romans ate a form of cheese spread with basil known as moretum. The Genoans adapted this and added garlic, pine nuts, and olive oil to it and called it pesto. After some time, the sauce was incorporated with pasta and became a hit.

Just like the different pasta varieties, there are also over hundreds of varieties when it comes to pasta sauces. You can start with the basic tomato sauce and little by little you can slowly experiment with whatever ingredients you would like to have in your pasta. Some variations include adding a little bit of condensed milk with lots of bell peppers to add sweetness to the traditional tangy Italian tomato pasta. Others make sauces with a lot of garlic to add an Asian touch to a pasta dish. On the other hand, many have experimented with the kind of meat they put in the sauce.   Duck, chicken and beef are popular additions, and some interesting seafood pasta recipes can make a tasty treat too.

With the use of your imagination, who knows, you might just cause the birth of a new pasta sauce which will become another favourite by the billions of pasta lovers worldwide! Have fun with your pasta dishes; don’t stick to what’s usual—explore!

This Roma Italian style pasta machine is the perfect choice for those starting their culinary journey into the delicious art of pasta creation.

A cheap pasta maker machine need not be an inferior one.  The Roma Pasta Maker is cheap for the price but built to last.  As we have seen with the Pinzon Pasta Maker and Villaware Pasta Machine it is perfectly possible to buy a decent product for under $30 that will keep your family fed and enjoying authentic Italian meals for years to come.

The reason that even a budget pasta machine can be a good buy is that their design is simple and traditional.  After centuries of making great pasta the Italian’s have come up with a straightforward design that has little that could ever go wrong.  Yes, you can pay more and get an automatic pasta maker for example, but why bother when a simple hand-cranked model will keep on turning out great fresh pasta with little or no maintenance in your kitchen?  That being said some of the other traditional models are likely to be more robust and made of sturdier metal.

But, if you plan on making occasional home-made pasta a budget model such as this one will serve you well.  The 6″ rollers will cope with home-cooking volumes of pasta.  Eight settings allow you to gradually reduce the thickness of the dough, to get fine smooth pasta.  A useful C-clamp will let you set the pasta maker somewhere solid and prevent any movement – but you will need to consider where you can place it!

There are a range of additional cutters available to help you produce Angel Hair, Spaghetti, Linguini, Lasagna, Lasagnette, Fettuccini and Half Moon & Square Raviolis.  But to be honest I wouldn’t worry too much about that to begin with.  Get your sheets sorted out and you can cut all manner of shapes by hand.  Once you are using the machine more regularly and have got your dough making sorted out, then its time for fancy shapes!

The Roma 6 inch pasta machine is one of those no-nonsense manual kitchen gadgets.  The key to success is getting your dough right.  To stiff and you will struggle to get it through the rollers.  Too sticky and you will simply end up in a horrible mess!  Practice makes perfect and you will quickly learn what great home-made pasta dough “feels” like.

Is the Roma 6 the Best Pasta Maker Machine?  Honestly, no, my personal recommendation would be the Atlas Pasta Machine or Imperia Pasta Maker..  But, is it one of the best budget models?  Definitely – you can tell from the customer reviews (click the image above for all reviews from past customers).