When time is more plentiful than $, and even the most casual, ordinary restaurants have gotten so expensive, it's not a casual decision to just not make dinner and go to a restaurant anymore. For less than the price of dinner for 2 at a very average restaurant, I got a pasta machine about a month ago - and a new wood board for kneading, scraper thing, tiny pizza cutter looking thing that makes zig-zag cuts, drying rack for long thin pasta.

I have made pasta a few times, linguini, yummy mushroom & cheese stuffed ravioli, some plain, flat noodles with the odds'n'ends of the dough. Of course, I'll make some lasagna soon when I feel like making pasta, red sauce, and cheese filling all on the same day. I've incorporated herbs into the dough, and realized my stand mixer can do the first step.

The difference is shocking!! I've always loved pasta and my love has grown significantly for the homemade version - using real Italian flour.

I have ordered some cannoli roll forms - for less than the cost of 2 ready-to-eat cannolis. I haven't actually tackled this yet but the recipes I printed to study before jumping in sound easier than ravioli. Cannoli is SO good and SO expensive. I'm excited about making some soon.

I'm wondering what other kinds of foods can be made with it, or if I'm missing any pasta "hacks"? Can a pasta machine make a thin enough dough for baklava? I love making baklava with store-bought dough, but would make it completely from scratch if I can. Should I make some little single-serve pies?

So making pasta dough is really easy?

I've never made pasta from scratch… my fav to purchase in stores -pasta made with carrot and spinish.
https://www.lastingredient.com...

If your definition of easy can include time-consuming, yes! From there, you just need flour & eggs to make the dough. And really, the time-consuming part does not apply to just the pasta. Making fettucine or linguini is pretty quick. It's the filling and closing of individual raviolis that has been time-consuming.

Agree, Bea, pasta is a great place to "hide" stuff like spinach!

Hiding or not hiding the taste of carrots and spinach in pasta I like the taste in pasta.

If anyone feels hesitant about buying a pasta machine just to test the difference between homemade pasta and store-bought, that makes sense. I would not have had the gumption to spend a few $'s on the machine if I hadn't taken a pasta class with some co-workers.

A rolling pin can be used to flatten the dough instead of the machine. Whether you use a machine or rolling pin, the flavor & the next step is the same - cutting it into the desired shapes, and then, in the case of ravioli, adding a filling and pinching each one closed.

Ive always wanted to try making homemade mushroom ravioli. But I never seem to get around to it...

The Polish deli near my house makes amazing mushroom tortellini. But they're pricey.

My Grandmother used to make homemade Cannoli , they were so good. So much better to just full the shell right before eating.

TK, you could do it! If I can do it, anyone can. I have no special abilities, just have been cooking for a very long time. Not because I find the cooking inherently enjoyable, but I love to eat something delicious, especially when I know exactly what is in it. Like Bea said, you can add a lot of stuff to pasta (in or on), to increase the nutritional value.

If you have a rolling pin, you don't need the machine. All the machine does is flatten the pasta to a very thin layer. And it cuts the dough into fettucine or linguini.

For ravioli, once you get the thin strip of dough, the machine part is done. Then it is cut into the desired shapes. A regular pizza cutter would work. A scraper or large knife could also work, pressing it straight down, not trying to drag it across/through the dough. The ravioli just wouldn't have the zig-zag edge.

IDK how others make a mushroom filling but here is what I did. I figured excess moisture in the filling could cause the ravioli to explode so I simmered minced mushrooms & onions in a little butter over very low heat until they had shrunk a LOT, about 30 mins. Then cooled and mixed with a beaten egg and a couple different kinds of shredded white cheese until it is a thick paste.

If they are making the tortellini manually, I'm not surprised they're expensive because of the time involved. Tortellini and ravioli are basically the same thing, just a different shape.

Bob, I can't wait to make some cannoli. I'm confused by the myriad of wildly different recipes for both the shells and the filling. Do you have your gramma's recipe? If so, and it's not a secret, I would love to see it!

Maybe I'll give that a go some time. I think I have a rectangular cookie cutter somewhere that would probably work perfect. I have circular ones too.

I wonder if they do make them themselves. I know they cut all their own meats and cheeses. And they make other fresh foods and baked goods. It's a small family owned deli. Wouldn't be surprised if the ravioli and perogies are handmade too. I'll still buy them. Just more as a treat here and there.

A square cookie cutter would be perfect! A round cutter/ravioli press came with my machine but I don't like having to re-roll the excess dough when cutting rounds. When I make sugar cookies, I do cut rounds with various sized glasses. Find 3 in graduated sizes and then you're ready to make snowmen!

This little doodad is what I got and it works great. I cut the rectangle down the middle, then cross-cuts and there's nothing left to re-roll.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/xiu...

Sorry I do not , my Grandmother almost never wrote anything down. And her measurements were a pinch of this a dash of that or 2 scoops. Things that would have different meanings to different people. My mother did write some down but not many., she mostly cooked the same way. I remember it being a long process starting in the morning draining the ricotta. She sometimes used different additions to the ricotta , the normal chocolate chips , dried fruit or crushed pistachios.

OK, thank you very much, Bob! I cook the same way. I'll use a recipe making something the first time, then make mental notes about what to do next time. This is why my mushroom filling above didn't have any measurements. I just minced until it looked like enough. And this is why baking doesn't happen here often. Too much exact science required.

When I went through my gramma's recipes, they were all desserts. My mom said she didn't use any recipes for savory dishes. I suppose that's a big part of the appeal to me of making pasta. No measuring involved. Just add flour to the eggs until it forms a ball. The dough hook on a stand mixer can do that, then knead.

Have you tried making gnocchi yet ? It has been awhile since I have but do like making it with sweet potatoes as a change of pace.

No but maybe I should. I do love sweet potatoes. I've ordered regular gnocchi @ restaurants a couple times but was never that impressed.

Home made tastes way better and it's not tht hard. I used to make fresh pasta frequently but got out of the routine when I moved. I could easily get back into it. I do have a newly bought pasta roller That attaches to my KitchenAide mixer. I could try that. and experiment.

If you do, please file an official report with us, Brenda! LOL!

Can you smell it? Lasagna is in the oven!! And a loaf of fresh bread. Here's some of the pasta I made for it. It was all over the kitchen! Ended up with 3 pans of lasagna. Although I made more than twice as much pasta dough as any of my previous episodes so far, it took less than half as much time to make enough giant, flat noodles than to make half as much ravioli.


DH asked why it didn't have wavy edges. I have no idea what kind of equipment one needs for that. Didn't see anything in that direction when shopping for the things I did already get.

Not sure if cannoli will happen this evening or not until tomorrow. I may have had enough kitchen action for today.

I may try frying some time but I went with baked shells for the cannoli. This is before baking. The pack of tubes only has 6 tubes so I made some foil ones using a bought one as a template.



The filling is super-runny but it tastes great. IDK if I did something against the recipe or didn't let the ricotta drain long enough. Will investigate and try to do better next time. I'm thinking of adding cocoa powder if it's too runny next time. I think it would help with the texture and, of course, then the filling would be chocoately too. Yum!

Probably won't take a pic of a filled cannoli because the filling is too loose. I think we will be dipping the shells in the filling to eat this batch. It won't be pretty, look away!