Last updated on June 26th, 2023 at 04:33 pm
I have not always consistently made pasta from scratch. Life happens, right? I get busy, or out of the habit of it, or — well, just want the ease of store-bought pasta sometimes! Okay, A LOT of the time.
I have recently rekindled my love of from-scratch cooking. We had a pretty scary situation occur in our family recently: our beloved French Bulldog, Isla (pronounced EYE-LA), ended up having to have emergency surgery. We nearly lost her. This made my husband and I really think about what is important not only within our family but in life in general! That can look very different for everyone, but for us, we narrowed it down to a few things that are crucial to us:
- More family time together: more dinners together, more quality time together, more reading together, etc.
- Healthier food (because what is more important than what you put in your body?)
- More travel + camping in our motorhome
- More time outside = fewer screens
Homemade pasta is actually easy thanks to the Philips Pasta Maker! This post may contain affiliate links in which I may make a small commission at no cost to you. See my disclosure policy here. Photo Credit: Tara Howard
The Why….
Granted, there’s some repetition with these categories, but clearly, the overall theme here is to seriously narrow down where our focus goes: and, it took a scary event like this to make us hit “reset.” For us, it was the realization that we weren’t spending enough time together, nor was that time doing high-quality things!
Admittedly, the from-scratch approach is mostly my thing. Although my son would prefer store-bought foods, I can happily say my husband thoroughly prefers my homemade stuff! Which is good, because in some ways it is more time-consuming.
But, the quality? It cannot be beaten.
So, when it came to researching methods of from-scratch pasta, I knew the easier it was, the more likely I was to stick to it. Especially if I’m also attempting other categories of from-scratch food making!
I spent a fair amount of time watching different vlogging videos on the subject, reading reviews and articles, and asking fellow wanna-be-homesteaders what their experiences were with pasta making. Ultimately, I decided the investment in a machine that did all the work for me was worth it.
And….it totally has been!
I am pleased to report that I have owned this machine for over 5 years, and I’m still thrilled with it! Below are some overall thoughts and opinions regarding just how much I love making fresh pasta at home. And, I’ll throw in some tips and tricks for you to help you feel inspired to try it yourself!
[bctt tweet=”Once you go for homemade pasta, you never go back: the flavor is remarkable!” username=”@TaraHoward17″]
One other reason it was important to me to make pasta from scratch is the health factor. It should come as no surprise to anyone that there are very few nutrients in white flour. The real beauty of this machine is that it is actually really healthy! All you are using to make luscious and tasty pasta is flour and eggs! That’s it!
You will want to make this fresh homemade pasta as you plan on consuming it: because it doesn’t contain anything other than flour and eggs (no nasty artificial ingredients, here….)Â it won’t last as long as the store-bought stuff. You guys: the flavor!!! It is so tasty and I guarantee you will not want to return to store-bought noodles after you taste the homemade version….
The Low-Down
The Philips Pasta Machine comes with 4 “discs.” These discs create different-shaped noodles: penne, lasagna/dumplings, spaghetti, and fettuccini. But the option I have linked here actually offers you 4 more additional discs:
- Angel Hair
- Pappardelle
- Thick Spaghetti
- Tagliatelle
Trust me: you will love the ease of making fresh pasta that you’ll be itching to create different shapes!
This machine automatically mixes, kneads, and extrudes whatever shaped noodles you choose in minutes! All you do is throw either 1 or 2 cups (a cup is provided) into the central cavity of the mixer, put the lid on, and whisk 1 or 2 eggs (one cup flour + 1 egg = 1 serving; 2 cups flour + 2 whisked eggs = 2 servings) and pour them (you guessed it – this cup is also provided) into the slits inside the lid and wallah! Wait a few minutes while it mixes and kneads – then get your handy-dandy noodle chopper (yup – provided!) ready to cut each noodle wherever your heart desires!
One of my absolute favorite parts of making homemade pasta is the freedom to add different flavorings! You can add different vegetable juices, herbs, and even different flours to change the taste! I have personally tried rosemary, basil, squid ink, spinach, beet, garlic, sun-dried tomato — the list goes on and on. Your options are endless! You can also just add your gluten-free flour if needed.
I have been amazed at how easy it is to clean, too. Honestly! Philips provides disc cleaners that you simply attach to each disc and it successfully gets any dough stuck inside with one simple push. The machine is heavy-duty and solidly made, too. As previously mentioned, I have had mine for over 5 years and it still looks and works as if it were brand new! It is also dishwasher-safe (most parts) on the top shelf. Truly though, I always just hand-wash it because it is no bother!
You will soon be on your way to making a pound of pasta — without any processed or degraded ingredients — in less than 15 minutes!
I am incredibly confident that anyone who enjoys learning new cooking techniques or enjoys from-scratch cooking will be enthralled with the Philips Pasta Machine. It is healthier, easy, and still allows the home cook to be creative and mix it up!
One added benefit I personally utilize is using this machine to knead and mix my homemade pizza dough and bread dough! A lot of people don’t think to utilize just the kneading and mixing setting on this machine — and I assure you this is just one more reason the investment in this pasta machine has completely paid off for me!
So, dear reader, I truly hope you will be inspired to try this incredible kitchen accessory out for yourself!
After so many years of using the Philips Pasta Machine, it still runs like brand new and its substantial and robust quality has me beyond impressed. I never suggest any products to my readers unless it is legitimately something I find value in. While I recognize this machine is an investment, I can authentically conclude that it has been worth.every.penny.
I hope you try fresh, homemade pasta for yourself! Enjoy the recipes below!
Homemade Pasta
Ingredients
- 2 Farm-Fresh Eggs Organic and Pasture Raised Preferred.
- 2 Cups Flour Semolina or All-Purpose Recommended. I have used many different types of flours with great success.
Instructions
- Simply add 1-2 cups flour (of your choice) to main cavity of machine in cup provided. Attach lid.
- Whisk 1-2 eggs with filtered water in liquid cup provided. Add to appropriate water line. Pour egg and filtered water mixture into lid slots and add to flour.
- Let the machine do the rest!
- *You will need to get the pasta cutter ready to cut to the desired length.
Notes
Pizza Dough - Using The Philips Pasta Machine
Equipment
- 1 Philips Pasta Machine You will simply add your regular recipe ingredients into the main cavity of the machine. Then, choose the mixing and kneading 3 minute timer in order to create a dough. Remove and roll out to pizza dough shape.
- 1 Kitchen Scale I always prefer to use a kitchen scale when baking or bread baking.
Ingredients
- 250 grams Flour Use any flour of your choice.
- 25 grams Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1/2 tsp Sugar
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/2 packet Quick Yeast I actually use fed sourdough starter, but quick yeast works easily as well.
- 140 ml Warm Water (Filtered)
Instructions
- You will simply add your regular recipe ingredients into the main cavity of the machine. Then, choose the mixing and kneading 3-minute timer in order to create a dough. Remove and roll out to pizza dough shape.
Bread Dough Using The Philips Pasta Machine
Equipment
- 1 Philips Pasta Machine
- 1 Kitchen Scale
Ingredients
- 500 grams Flour Flour of your choice.
- 20 grams Dry Yeast I use fed sourdough starter, but dry or quick yeast works just as easily.
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1.5 tsp Bread Seasoning I usually just mix dried herbs in a mortar and pestle.
- 350 ml Luke-Warm Water
- 20-40 grams Sunflower, Pumpkin, or Fennel Seeds Optional.
Instructions
- You will simply add your regular recipe ingredients into the main cavity of the machine. Then, choose the mixing and kneading 3 minute timer in order to create a dough. Remove and roll out to bread dough shape.
- Bake for approximately 45-60 minutes at 350 degrees.
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