Top products from r/pasta

Yes, I had been using the Atlas hand crank roller, but just got the KA roller attachment. We use the metal multi-cavity ravioli molds: you lay a sheet of pasta over, press in the "dimpler", fill the depressions, lay another pasta sheet on top, then seal, crimp and cut by rolling a pin over the top.

Like this one: Palmer Large Ravioli Mold https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00127R89G/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_IJyNub0N49GK4

As for the KA extruder, they have made two very different types. The earlier one used plastic dies and extruded horizontally. Every review I read on those matched my own poor experience. The newer extruders extrude vertically and have a wire cutter. Reviews on those were much better. I'm not a big fan of tubular pasta, so it seems like an expensive way to make only occasional pasta.

As for the KA ravioli maker, it seems pretty expensive for a hand crank gadget. Reviews were mixed. I think I'll stick with the molds. They're pretty fast and much cheaper, the kneading and rolling is the most tedious part of ravioli making.

If you're making large batches, you'd either have to roll out all your sheets, then switch to the cutter or ravioli attachment or keep switching back and forth. I'd rather keep the roller going and have the #2 person do ravioli filling/sealing or pasta cutting, of if I'm solo, switch back and forth between 2 machines, so I'll keep using my Atlas for cutting.

I'd say conservatively that I've made 3-400# of pasta since I got the Atlas, so I think that's been a pretty good investment.

The ham is new to me for lasanga...I must try! Your layers are straight forward and now your making me want to try the same in my cast iron!!

Couldn't agree more on cast iron. My wife and I used to always cook on steel and teflon. Now we have 3 cast iron pans complete with lids and use them all the time!! Such a wonderful thing. Let's not forget these bad boys are great to cook with everywhere! We take them camping all the time. Tastes do improve and you get a workout to boot given the bigger pans are quite heavy :)

I'll be ordering Mastering Pasta: The Art and Practice of Handmade Pasta, Gnocchi, and Risotto https://www.amazon.com/dp/1607746077/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_5TD7xbWZYC9TZ to help me build the pasta skillz!

Yes, I think it tastes better and the texture is far superior. In addition, the surface is rougher, so it "picks up" the sauce better. The basic recipe is simple:1 egg per 100g flour, plus water to make a pliant, non sticky dough. Although a true Semolina "00" flour is prefered or a Durham... Truth be told I use good ol' GD unbleached all purpose flour (or maybe half and half with whole wheat)

I failed my first few attempts to hand-cut the dough (or did not have the patience) to make uniform thickness, which is vital. I gave up until I bought a pasta maker.... Now I will never go back to store bought pasta. My machine is a Marcato Atlas 150. It comes with a tagliolini (like a square spaghetti) and fettuccine cutter. For around $79 on Amazon And you can get a bunch of different cutters.

I would use doll house/model train/craft corrugated metal sold at local craft stores (they have several different sizes of the ruffles). Then cut and glue them onto free Lowes/Home Depot paint stir stick with some overlap so it looks like this but fits exactly to a stick. The stick now acts like a stamping tool. In order for the pasta's edge to take on the same it needs to give on the bottom so I would use [6mm craft foam](http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTIwMFgxNjAw/z/a~YAAMXQgPFRGoSz/$T2eC16dHJGQE9noMbTp\(BRGoSy4lJw~~60_1.JPG?set_id=880000500F) as a pad for the pasta to sit on (it's a lot like a petal pad for fondant ruffles except it's a heck of a lot bigger and I can make a mat pad out of 4).

Have the pasta precut into the fettuccine pieces and then use the stick to press once on each side to give it the ruffles while leaving the center unruffled.

Alternatively you could make one whole pasta sheet and do the glue-on-stick thing with a skinnier stick or on a wood dowel rod (also sold in craft stores). Then you'd stamp on left edge of the pasta sheet with a 1/4 inch ruffle. Then leave the small 1/4 inch gap and then position the stamp for doing the ride side 1/4 inch ruffle BUT don't press, run a knife/pastry cutter on the right edge of it. So it's officially a single noodle of the width you'd like to eat it. Then press so the right side of that single noodle gets the ruffle. Repeat with the now slightly smaller whole pasta sheet till it's all gone. That way you don't have to worry about making sure the pre-cut fettuccine pieces are straight enough for your DIY tool b/c with this method you're cutting as you make the individual noodles.

On the off-chance the he's got a KitchenAid, this attachment is pretty great -
https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_1_16?url=search-alias%3Dkitchen&field-keywords=kitchenaid+pasta+attachment&sprefix=kitchenaid+pasta%2Ckitchen%2C175&crid=23R2U2MR2LSWQ

Otherwise you might try combo gift with things like a couple pasta drying racks, some ravioli cutters, and a chitarra pasta cutter https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0047T6VAI/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_31?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A3OJS1UM61W602,

If he's into making sauces, too consider going into a local Italian market and buying some large cans of top-quality San Marzano tomatoes, a high-quality parmesean, and some awesome cured meat like guanciale. It may seem silly, but if I got those under my Christmas tree it would be a top present!

I got this. Probably didn't have to spend so much money but it's very beautiful. Gets to extremely thin...thinnesses? I've never gone past 6/10. It was def a game changer for me coming from a rolling pin. I can literally make twice as much pasta with the same amount of dough because it rolls so much thinner than I could with a pin. It's also fairly small so which is nice I think. Pair this with a nice ravioli stamp and your pasta will be 100% professional.

You're correct!
I used a board like this one:
Cuisinox Gnocchi and Cavatelli Board, Wood https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DW7JYRS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_J9pvzb2QQZFYE

I use that board for pretty much everything. Garganelli, gnocchi and gnudi, cavatelli.
The fork works well also, but if you're going to be making pasta on a consistent enough basis, this board is a great investment.

Marcato Atlas, here. Expensive but the quality is amazing.

I get mine at Whole Foods, and the same stuff is on Amazon.

I actually prefer bread flour, though, which is definitely easier to find.

For eggs, I usually use the same number the instruction call for, then add water until the dough is right.

I have this book. It's alright, I think I wanted something with more exotic shaping guides, but the internet has been good for that.

I have this one, it was $16 and it's collapsible, which is awesome. It holds enough pasta for 6 people.

You can certainly try and do it with a roller, but it'll take 10x longer and because you're not an Italian nonna, it won't be as smooth or thin. Meanwhile, you can get a hand-cranked machine for like $20 and you'll have it forever.

Seriously, it's the best! https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1607746077/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

If you don't need it to be extruded, you can get a roller for about the same price. I'd assume a roller would work a bit better.

https://www.amazon.com/Ovente-Adjustable-Countertop-Attachment-PA518S/dp/B013FAQGYK/ref=sr_1_40?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1522424104&sr=1-40&keywords=pasta+roller

This is actually the pasta maker attachment I used for it: Amazon Link.

I was in the same boat you're in a few months ago. The selection is overwhelming.

Ultimately I went with this. a few reviews for other machines had them dented right out of the box, this one seems well constructed. Comes with linguine and spaghetti cutters. It's red though, could be a dealbreaker for some people/kitchens.

I do not have an exhaustive list, but I did learn a thing or two about shapes I'd never heard of in this book.

How about a book?

https://www.amazon.com/Mastering-Pasta-Practice-Handmade-Gnocchi/dp/1607746077/

reminded me of this which I came across yesterday
The reviews tell all

Here ya go: [ink] [recipe]

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007NEYS54?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Not OP, but I order this one. https://www.amazon.com/Alma-Gourmet-Squid-Ink-90gr/dp/B00SGCP8A6/ref=sr_1_3_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1519361275&sr=8-3&keywords=squid+ink&dpID=51ijPXP0bEL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch