Santa bought me a pasta maker.

edlin, Jan 30, 7:15pm
and where do I start! What flour do I buy! Am I likely to make edible pasta first time! How will I clamp it onto my formica bench without damaging the surface! Help please

biggles45, Jan 30, 7:44pm
I don't have any trouble with it marking the workbench, it doesn't move once clamped. The pasta is a different story! The first lot I made was brilliant! The second lot was only fit for the bin - it just wouldn't roll out properly, it seemed to be too dry, yet I used the same amounts of everything! Flour, I gather the finer the flour the better, I just use high grade flour (a branded one rather than Pam's etc). Home made is nicer than the dried bought stuff when it works well, but I do find I get varying results - no idea why. So will read this thread with interest.

waythe, Jan 30, 7:58pm
we make a family time of it I have four young daughtes and they love it I make the dough they have to roll there oun but you must use a good flour eggs water and oil but it's has to be kneed correctly check out utube lots of ways on there and you have to let the dough rest a half hour or so have fun

carolyn20, Jan 30, 8:02pm
I've had a pasta maker for two years and probably use about once a month, I used this method from the start and has always worked well:
200g flour (high grade)
2 eggs
1 T olive oil
pinch salt.

Flour/salt on bench, make well in centre.Beat eggs & oil together then pour into the well, mix with fingers and bring together to form a dough. Knead until smooth then wrap in clingfilm leave at least 30 mins as resting makes it more elastic.

Feed this several times through widest setting on machine. Then keep passing it through reducing the setting each time (I finish on 2nd to last). Hang it to dry a bit then pass through your chosen cutters. Leave drapped again if you don't use straight away. Only takes a few minutes to cook.

I sometimes throw flour at it while I'm passing it through the machine if it's a bit sticky.I try use nice yolky free range eggs you get a lovely colour to the pasta. Makes a mess everywhere but worth it - good luck!

cookessentials, Jan 30, 9:26pm
"00" flour is one of the ones you can use. As for clamping it to your bench, use a little piece of rubber or cardboard in between the clamps.

nauru, Jan 31, 2:02am
I use high grade flour too and have had good results.I use 1 egg, ½ teasp salt, 2 teasp oil to each 100g flour.My son bought me a copy of Pasta Bible, it is a great book, lots of good recipes in there.Also I use a piece of that non slip covering that you can buy for drawers etc. over the edge of my bench before clamping the pasta machine to it, works a treat.

lythande1, Jan 31, 2:05am
Just don't use self raising flour, other than that, it doesn't matter much.
If you don't want to clamp it to the bench, use a long board. I do that as the bench doesn't haveenough of an overhang anyway.

beaker59, Jan 31, 2:59am
I find flour varies a little and I guess eggs do too so you need to sneak up on it a bit don't add all the flour at first, then add rest as you mix until you have the right consistency. Suits me because I am a bit of a hands on guy anyway. I run mine in the food processor until I get nice beads like cous cous and its ready hand roll into a ball then into the fridge to rest for half an hour or more Then into the pasta roller.

sarahb5, Jan 31, 4:51am
That's funny - Santa bought me one too about 10 years ago and I still haven't got around to trying it out .