On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me.... A PASTA ROLLER!

This is possibly the best present I have ever received. I have always wanted to make homemade pasta. I was given the Imperia Pastaia Italiana kit by my boyfriend for Christmas, which came with two extra roller attachments which slot into the main roller base. This means I can roll lasagne sheets and 4 different types of 'long pasta' (including spaghetti and tagliatelle). The kit also came with a star ravioli mould which can be seen in the picture below.

I haven't used a pasta roller before so I don't know how this model compares to other models/brands but I am really really happy with mine. After a couple of goes with it I would definitely recommend it. The main roller comes with a small clamp so you can attach it to your work surface. I didn't appreciate the importance of this clamp until I started rolling my first batch of dough. You really do need it. So if you are thinking of buying any roller, make sure there is a clamp included, it will make your life a lot easier!

Pasta dough is relatively easy to make. Ingredients wise it is extremely simple. Just eggs, flour and a pinch of salt. Obviously free range eggs are preferable and it is VERY important to use 00 flour so that your pasta has a silky smooth texture. The slightly more strenuous part is the dough kneading. Most recipes I came across said kneading should take about 15mins. 30mins of kneading later I was pretty happy with my dough and decided to give my sore hands a rest. The important thing is to have a dough which is very smooth and elastic feeling. Then you can start rolling it or shaping it.

If you are going to make 'long' pasta, like spaghetti, you should also invest in a drying rack. My boyfriend says that the racks are surprisingly pricey, so have a good look on amazon for a good deal. Having a drying rack means that drying your pasta is much easier, especially if you don't have a lot of counter space to lay it all out on.

Pasta Dough

Ingredients

• 300g 00 flour
• 3 medium eggs
• a pinch of salt

Method

1. Sift the flour and salt onto a work surface, creating a large mound. Make a well in the middle of the mound.
2. Crack the eggs into a bowl and then pour them into the well. 
3. Gradually draw the flour into the eggs, at first forming a paste, and then eventually a floury dough. The eggs will stick to your fingers so make sure you scrape it off and incorporate it into your dough mix.
4. Once you have a dough, put it to one side and clean your work surface. 
5. Sprinkle the clean work surface with more 00 flour and start kneading the dough. Knead until the dough is smooth and elastic. As I mentioned above, this took me about 30 mins so set aside plenty of time! 
6. Now you can use your new pasta roller, following the instructions that come with your machine, to create any pasta you want.

Alternatively you can roll the dough by hand. To do this I suggest rolling the dough bit by bit (unless you have a huge countertop and an even bigger rolling pin!). Just cut the ball of dough into manageable chunks and roll the dough on a floured surface (00 flour of course), rotating it a quarter turn after each roll, until it is really, really thin. The thinest setting on my machine rolls the dough thin enough to see my hand through it so that's what you are aiming for!

Once the dough is rolled leave it to dry for 10mins before cutting or shaping it.

The second time I made the dough it spent the night in the fridge before rolling. This didn't seem to affect the quality at all. 

Fresh Tagliatelle with Basil Pesto and Pancetta

Ingredients

Basil Pesto:

• 50g basil leaves 
• 175ml good olive oil (the better the olive oil the better the pesto!)
• 15g pine nuts
• 35g parmasan
• 2 cloves garlic, mashed

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200C.
2. Blend together the basil leaves, olive oil, parmesan, garlic and half the pine nuts.
3. Toast the other half of the pine nuts in the oven for a few mins at about 200C, then coarsely chop them and add them to the pesto.
4. You should have a course textured basil pesto. Taste to see if you are happy with the garlic/basil/olive oil levels and add extra if needed. 

This makes enough pesto for a few meals so have a jar handy and keep it in the fridge. 

Now onto the pasta:

1. Put a saucepan of salted water on the heat for the pasta.
2. Meanwhile fry the pancetta until crispy.
3. When the water is boiling add the pasta. With fresh pasta I think it is best for you to try it after 4 or 5 mins to see if it's ready rather than giving you a specific cooking time. It will be al dente (firm) and should not taste too floury. Be careful not to over cook it, no more than 6mins for 'long pasta' I should think. 
4. Drain the pasta, add the pancetta and stir in enough pesto to coat the pasta.

And that's it! Fresh pesto tastes completely different to the jarred version you can buy in the shops so definitely give it a go, even if you're not a huge pesto fan. Or you could add some of my Hot Red Pesto if you like a bit of heat! 

Good luck and have fun 

x