The quickest way to make fresh pasta for Christmas

November 4th, 2015

Appliance Talk Food Preparation Ovens & Cooking Recipes Small Appliances

It’s November, and you know what that means – the silly season has arrived.

In the lead up to Christmas, we indulge ourselves in endless work parties, school functions, Secret Santas and a heap of scrumptious belly-filling food.

In preparation for the mandatory ‘bring a plate of food to share’, impress your friends with home-made spaghetti from the Phillips Pasta and Noodle Maker.

Just add flour, water, egg and oil to the machine and within 15 minutes you will have three or four large portions of spaghetti or other pasta to share!

This is a no-mess, speedy and very simple alternative to making pasta by hand.

The machine includes three shaping discs that can make three different types of pasta, including spaghetti. For my dinner party and the recipe below, I experimented with tube-shaped pasta, using white spelt flour.

Tube-shaped pasta recipe:

Set up the machine with the tube shaping disk for tube shaped pasta. But do not turn on the machine just yet!

Measure 500 grams of white spelt flour in the flour measuring cup provided. Use the flat cleaning tool to level the flour in the measuring cup and scrape off any excess flour.

Tip: Do not hit or shake the flour cup when measuring the flour as this will compact the flour and can affect the consistency of the dough.

Place the flour into the chamber (top of the machine) and secure the lid.

Measure out the liquid ingredients. Crack two eggs into the liquid measuring cup, and fill with water up to the 190ml mark on the side of the cup where there is an egg/water symbol (because the other side says 180ml).

Tip: Fill with water very slowly to prevent bubbles and to ensure an exact measurement.

Add 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil to the liquid and mix ingredients together.

Do not add the liquid to the flour!

Turn on the machine and set the program at 15 minutes for cup size 2. Press start and let the flour churn for 30 seconds.

Slowly add the liquid ingredients. Make sure this is poured evenly across all three slots in the lid.

Kneading will begin automatically, and after a couple of minutes the pasta will come out of the shaping disk.

Place a large cereal bowl or flat container underneath to catch the pasta.

Cut the pasta to the desired length with the flat cleaning tool. Be prepared as the pasta will shoot out very quickly in the beginning.

Tip: To avoid squishing the pasta or mashing it together, you must be quick! Also, cut very close to the shaping disk – almost scrape the disk as you cut the pasta. Use the shorter side of the flat cleaning tool to cut the pasta and use the longer side to hold as a handle.

Continue to cut the pasta until the 15 minutes is over and there is no more dough left in the machine.

Some more tips to improve the consistency of the dough and prevent drying out:

If the dough begins to dry and the pasta stops progressing through the shaping disk, add very small splash of water.

Wait 1-2 minutes and let this churn and watch to see if the dough moves up the machine.

If the dough appears to be stuck on the churner, pause the machine and using your fingers, push the dough up the churner and closer to the shaping disk.

Freezing and cooking the pasta:

Note: After every cut of the pasta, use your fingers to gently separate any pasta that is stuck together.

To freeze the pasta, place it in a plastic freezer bag or container and add 2 tablespoons of flour. Tie the plastic bag or place the lid on the container and shake the pasta and flour together.

Place in a freezer, where it should be good for up to 2 months.

Cook the pasta as usual in a large pot with boiling salty water. The pasta can be cooked straight out of the freezer; do not defrost.

Cleaning the pasta machine:

Detach all of the machine’s internal compartments and wash in warm soapy water.

Wipe down the machine’s exterior with a wet cloth.

Use the pointy ends of the flat cleaning tool to separate the components of shaping disk and to scrape any hard bits of pasta dough.