I just got a new pasta machine, I cant bloody work it !! I roll it out intill i get to setting 4(i think) as i look at it the handle on right and secection setting on left, the first setting is 1 which is biggest gap, anyhow the problem is when i pass it through the cutters on spag or tag it does not cut the whole way through, what am i doing wrong, is it too thick, or too thin please help i keep seperating each stang by hand after and it takes ages!

Bare with me on this, because I'm not sure whether it's something you are doing, or the machine you are using, or even perhaps your recipe. So I'll run through the possible issues for causing snags.

Having mixed and rolled up your pasta into a ball, wrap it in cling film and put it in the fridge for an hour.

When you take it out, give it a good 'kneading and stretching' by hand on your worktop.

Flatten it with your hand and run it through the widest setting of the machine.

Then screw down a step and do it again, and so on until you get to the thinnest setting.

Then fold the pasta over itself, so that you have three or four layers, then open up your rollers and start the process again - you use the machine to work the dough with. You need to work through this process about four times until the dough becomes 'elastic like' when you pull it apart. When it has been worked enough it will roll out thinly and will not be brittle or fragile.

Having gone through this set of procedures set your machine up to cut the pasta into strands - the rollers should be well engaged with each other so that the pasta gets sliced right through.

The rollers that do the slicing are fixed on my machine - if yours are adjustable and not cutting right through, I would think they need screwing down a little more.

ok thanks for all that, i will follow that.

I have this problem as well with an Imperial SP150. I have to separate each strand myself. It seems to be related to how dry the pasta is - if you leave it to dry the situation improves.
Also, I cannot get the pasta to look yellow! I use 130g of Doves Farm Organic Pasta flour (it is the only flour containing durum wheat I can find loaclly) with 1 whole egg and 2 yolks, but it always goes white when cooked (about 40 secs) - tatses fine, but looks bad. Ideas anybody?

Hi Griff,

Look for a top quality free range organic eggs.

I allready use free range eggs, and have tried two different suppliers. Can try another, I guess.

Hi Griff,

Guess you need to keep looking for a better coloured yolk. My supplier is real free range, in a field about 100 chickens etc. The commercial free range are quite pale in colour by comparison. Also, I would use up to 4 egg yolks, leave out the whole egg, for your amount of flour.

Good Luck

David

Hi Mark,

Sounds like the pasta is too thin. But, if you can't get it to work for cutting, try rolling the pasta to the into sheets as before, then roll the sheet along the long side into a sausage shape and cut with a sharp knife. This allows you to vary the thickness to suit your recipe. When cut, just shake out the ribbons of pasta.

Good Luck

David

Thanks David, I will try that next time and post any results.

Griff

OK tried that. Unusual results, realy. Made with only yolk, the pasta was way too stiff and did not absorb anywhere near as much flour as normal - about half what I expected. In addition, it was nowhere near as yellow as I hoped. Adding a little (about two tablespoons) of white made a massive difference to the texture and absorbancy of the dough. I then made a quick dough using the same flour and some egg white only and fed it through the machine as a cleaner. This was very pale, but went through well. But the cutters? No chance! The strands stuck together, clumped, yeuch. But the yolk based pasta went straight through the cutters into lovely ribbons, and when cooked tasted fine.
Still beige though... I want teh bright yellow they always get on TV!
I guess it must be the flour - has anyone else used Dove Farm Organic Pasta Flour with any sucess?

Follow this link and you will produce great pasta:-

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If you don't have 00 flour - just use 50% bread flour mixed with 50% semolina flour.

Cheap pasta machines are a pain the butt - use a rolling pin or buy a better quality machine, such as the Imperia:-

[link]

again i am back the lil dvil and id like to halp in any way as i av just joined gtg bye