Homemade Pasta with my Kitchen Aid Mixer

I got a wonderful Kitchen Aid Pasta for Christmas from my aunt, uncle, and cousins and I was so excited.  I was sitting there hugging it for awhile.  Now I am going to work on figuring out how to use it!!  Here is what I did!

I decided to make this pasta recipe for my first time.  I knew that it was really simple but that means that I wouldn't waste anything if it was horrible and I messed it all up.  The first step was easy and I put the dry ingredients into the mixing bowl.

I mixed the eggs in a measuring cup to make sure that they measured enough to see how much mroe water I would need. I  added the water here as well.

I mixed the wet ingredients into the dry and it was very crumbly so I was a little worried.

When I was patient and followed the instructions and I got this dough that came together better then I expected.

I kneeded it in the bowl and it was a good consistency but maybe a little thick.  Next time I would add a little water but I never know the first time I make a recipe.

I put the pasta maker on the front of the machine.

It was pretty easy to use and figure out but the dough went in small balls to wait to be put into the pasta maker.

Then, after while the pasta started to come out.  There is a special tool to push the dough down into the machine so that you don't loose your hand.  Doesn't this look like a playdough machine??  I think that I could have just used one of those instead :)

It was really interesting and hard to figure out how long the spaghetti should be but we cut it when it touched the counter for a little bit.

The laying it out was the hardest part because the pasta was warm and started sticking together so it needed flour and we ended up laying it out on a drying rack for the best result just while we made enough to cook for the meal.  I am sure that a pasta drying rack would have been easier but I didn't have one so I worked with what was on hand.

I cooked the spaghetti which cooked very quickly in the boiling water and rose to the surface almost immediately.

We enjoyed our meal which was only half of the pasta.  I had mine plain with butter and garlic salt.

My husband had his with spaghetti sauce and we both enjoyed it.  My son did not enjoy it as much so we made him a batch of the store bought pasta.  Here is hoping that I make some with another recipe that suits him too.

After eating, I used the rest of the dough to make this neat pasta.

When it got to a good length, I cut them off and these were really easy and helped me learn to better make the pasta quickly and easily.  I don't know if I could do the spaghetti by myself but this was pretty easy to do by myself.

I laid them on the now empty drying rack.  I figured that these would be easier to dry and store.  I left them on the rack over night and put them in a container.

There is another recipe in the book that looks good in the book that came with the machine.  The directions are a little different then the ones that I followed but I hope that either will help you if you try to make your own pasta.  I mixed them together a little to make the best idea of pasta since I really didn't know what the consistency of the dough should feel or look like.  Having two recipes made me a feel a little better that the end result would turn out well!!

I hope that you enjoy the recipe and the process to try for yourself.  I am hoping to try some different flours to make a more tasty and tender pasta.  I can't wait to try again soon!!

Homemade Pasta Recipe

Ingredients:

• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose unbleached flour, sifted (plus extra flour for preparing)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 large eggs, beaten
• 2 Tablespoons water plus more for dough to come together

Directions:

1. Place flour and salt in mixer bowl. Attached bowl and flat beater. Mix eggs and water in measuring cup to note measurement (difference in egg size might mean more water later). Turn to speed 2 and mix for 30 to 60 seconds. Add more water if the dough is too dry, in 1/2 Tablespoon increments (I used 1/4 c and added it faster then 1/2 tbsp.)
2. Change out the flat beater for the dough hook. Turn to speed 2 and knead for 2 minutes. Remove the dough and knead by hand for 2 minutes. Let it rest for 20 to 30 minutes.
3. Roll dough into small ball pieces before processing with pasta press. Attach the pasta press to the front of the mixer.  Turn on the stand mixer to speed 2 and run the pasta dough through the press.
4. When the pasta comes out the bottom of the press, add flour to the outside so that the pasta doesn't stick to each other.
5. Allow pasta to dry for a few minutes before boiling.
6. When boiling your pasta, it only needs 3 to 7 minutes to boil or tender to taste