Comments on: On Making Homemade Pasta

By: Jason Winters

Jason Winters — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 08:20:59 +0000

Please let me know when you find some “Grana Arsa” or burnt flour. I can not find a source for it anywhere in the states. Thank you sooo much.

By: Mari

Mari — Mon, 16 May 2011 15:28:23 +0000

Can you recommend any other books besides The Encyclopedia of Pasta for basic dough recipe variations? We’ve ordered it and I’m excited to read it, but it looks extremely academic. My boyfriend picked up Stir by Barbara Lynch. She goes on at great length about her love of fresh handmade pasta, and then half the recipes in the book call for random dried. The only variations listed are gnocchi. We have Vegetarian Bittman and also enjoyed his Best Recipes in The World there are few recipes in each, but very basic. Looking for a jewel of a book in order to play!

By: Hank

Hank — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 14:56:39 +0000

Hey Angela: I always do filled pasta set on No. 8, which is the second-to-last setting on my machine. It works fine, but I knead my dough a long time, let it rest at least 2 hours, and then flour the hell out of it when I am rolling it thin. I never have a problem with pasta falling apart in the water, although when you get really thin it can tear easily when you handle it.

By: Angela

Angela — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 06:39:37 +0000

Hi Hank!
I just happened across your website the other day looking for a red pepper pasta recipe to accompany some spinach pasta I made, thinking they would look pretty together dressed in some butter and lemon and herbs from my garden, and then I got lost in your recipes for a while, they look so lovely! I have a quick question for you if you care to help an advanced beginner I use just a small hand crank Atlas 150 (I too love the feel of the smooth cool fresh sheets rolling out, beautiful!) and I always seem to chicken out and make the sheets destined for filling too thick. I made some ravioli tonight and though they were tasty the skirt was just a bit too heavy and chewy. I used the number 6 setting of 9 thickness settings. What do you use? I made fettuccine once with number 8 and it was much too delicate and sort of fell apart in the water, and since then I stick to number 5 or 6 usually, not wanting to ruin an hour + of work again. Help?

By: Fritz Nordengren - SmallFarmLife.com

Fritz Nordengren - SmallFarmLife.com — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 15:25:50 +0000

Great topic, if I can offer a simple tip for beginners: buy a good pasta roller/cutter and start! its fun, even when it isn’t perfect. Great pasta is a little like the old joke about “How do you get to Carnegie Hall?”

Practice, practice, practice.

By: hank

hank — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 04:06:32 +0000

Sean: That’s exactly the feeling I am talking about!

By: Dina

Dina — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 04:56:14 +0000

I like to make pasta to unwind! Soothing process and fun too!

By: Sean

Sean — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 02:18:33 +0000

Mmm … I love the sensation of the cool sheets of pasta draping over my hands as they go through the kneader. Everytime I make pasta, I have an urge to make something non-edible out of it — sculpture, or masks or something. But, in the end, I just eat it.

By: hank

hank — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 04:18:14 +0000

Kristopher: I’m on it! I like the smoked meats, toasted pasta combo.

Dawn: Those tagliatelle (almost pappardelle, actually) look thick and hearty — good choice of sauces with that one. Nice work with just a rolling pin!