Making fresh pasta - Is it worth the effort?

Last December, MG bought me a pasta roller for Christmas. It was no surprise as he had been talking about getting one for a while before that - and ironically bought it for me even though he was the one who really wanted it.

I then went into extensive pasta making research. For the dough recipe, I really followed this video. General rule of thumb is for one person's portion, use one egg to three heaping spoons of flour, seasoned with a little salt and some olive oil. Add more flour if it gets too sticky.

I did not attempt to make the dough via the traditional method. Even with the blender, it causes quite a mess. I can't imagine how laborious it will be trying to do everything on the counter top.

For the pasta making, I really studied every step and instruction given in this extremely informative video from America's Test Kitchen.

There are a few things to look out for when making this in a humid country like Singapore. Things get sticky, quickly. After rolling out my pasta into sheets, I make sure to flour each side before making it into fettuccine. It goes a long way in making sure your pasta strands don't stick together, and more importantly, that you don't knead everything back into a ball in frustration. 

It's also true that your pasta dries out pretty quickly, it is important to cover your un-rolled dough with cling film to prevent it from drying out and cracking on the surface. I made this mistake the first time. I spent too much time rolling out the sheets that I ignored the rest of the dough, and when I got to it, it was cracking on the top. 

I've made fresh pasta a few times now, and usually end up sweating head to toe due to the climate. Flour gets all over the counter, the floor, your face and clothes. To make it well, you really need to follow each step. It's not something you can afford to be lazy with. Plus hanging the pasta to dry it out is such a chore (I used clothes hangers and dangled it from the rack in my kitchen). If you're really into this, invest in a pasta rack. After all that work, I'm just very glad that it cooks quickly under five minutes. 

Is it worth it? I would like to think so, especially after all the sweat and muscle work put into it. But when both MG and my parents immediately said: "This tastes like Meepok", it made me think that perhaps it is just better and easier eating meepok. Nonetheless, it does make your regular pasta dish a bit tastier and heartier due to the egg flavour. 

I shall endeavour to make wrapped pastas in the next few months and give a more concrete update.