Pasta Disaster

[Beth]

Okay, we have a new thermomix and still working out how to use it.   One of the issues we are coming across is that every time we make one of the pasta dishes and follow the recipe we end up with the bottom half of the thermomix with puree (well squished) pasta.  This puree also seems to stick to the bottom of the thermomix and is super hard to clean. This has happen twice now both times with penne first we thought maybe we forgot to press the backwards button so the second time we made sure that it was on reverse and it still happen!

Any Ideas?

[Thermomixer]

Just wonder what speed you are using and was the water nice and hot when the pasta went in?

I haven't had problems with various types of pasta.

Let us know speeds, times etc that have caused problems

[judydawn]

Beth, I always boil the kettle and start with boiling water before adding the pasta and have never had this problem. 1200g boiling water and up to 500g pasta (it amazes me that it will cook a whole packet of spaghetti).  You save heaps of time by using boiling water.  Are you cooking the pasta for 8-10 minutes at 100^o C on reverse and soft speed as per the EDC.

[cathy79]

Beth, which recipe are you trying?  Are you just cooking pasta by itself, or one of the pasta meals from the EDC cookbook which includes the other ingredients.

I've cooked a few of the pasta meals from EDC with no problems so I'd be interested to know which one?

I haven't tried penne, but have used spaghetti and curly pasta (name escapes me) without any problem.  There is usually a very small layer of mushy pasta, but it's nothing significant, and comes off quite easily.

[Babymaker]

Hm I cooked rigatoni pasta last night, used boiling water and boosted it at 100c for 3min to ensure it was boiling boiling (this is my usual method when making pasta) but the rigatoni broke up into flat pieces and the water was VERY starchy, we had to rinse it to make it edible and it was fine although not tubular any more. I did cook 500g and the recipe called for only 325g so maybe that was it? Maybe the rigatoni is too big for the TMX? Ideas?

[isi]

I usually cook all kinds of Pasta in my Thermomix!
Less RIGATONI  since it is a mass that needs more space to keep their shape (not break)
Moreover it is really strange what happens to Beth - can it be the cooking time
We know that the Pasta today cook faster and faster ...

[Gralke]

I have had pasta disaster but not related to the thermomix - I love making homemade fresh pasta for lasagna and I use freerange eggs and all and get flour everywhere and my kitchen becomes a chaos and then either I overcook the pasta, or put too little salt in the dough and it taste of nothing, or that or another - anyway I wonder if its worth having spent €50 euros on the Marcatto pasta roller when I can buy fresh pasta for 0,90 in "Pingo Doce" (local supermarket). And then I stand in front of the pasta in "Pingo Doce" and think, proudly, nooooo, will make my own with my fresh free range eggs, etc and then I look at the chaos 2 hours later and the question repeats - is it worth insisting on making everything from scratch?  I have to add that I always cook from scratch, here in Portugal only recently many convenience foods where introduced and I always found the taste lacking and overpriced so I never went down that road. But, I don't want to be "OTT" - in German we would say be more "Päpstlicher als der Papst" - would mean having an exaggerated Pope attitude than the Pope himself would have.

[faffa_70]

I have only every had one pasta disaster and that was because I picked up a packet of 6 minute pasta by mistake  Reading your post Beth I wonder if this is what you have??

[Tebasile]

I think the pasta for the TMX should be eggfree.

[Gralke]

But I thought that eggfree pasta makes a real hard dough and dificult to roll

[Thermomixer]

I spent 3 hours making pastas at a restaurant recently - 3 different types including one with beetroot in the mix and another with nettles.  Unfortunately they still use hand roller rather than mechanised.  It takes a lot of work - but you feel good (in your heart)

[judydawn]

Sounds like a good work-out Thermomixer. 

[achookwoman]

 I'm wondering if it might be the brand of pasta.   Our consultant insisted on imported Italian pasta .

[cookie1]

I always use Barilla pasta and have never had any problems.

[Chelsea (Thermie Groupie)]

 

I wonder if its worth having spent €50 euros on the Marcatto pasta roller when I can buy fresh pasta for 0,90 in "Pingo Doce" (local supermarket

[/quote]

Where we live the only fresh pasta that we can buy is from the supermarket and it is loaded with nasty preservatives (fresh pasta can be terrible for preservatives).  I make homemade pasta when I can and it tastes so much better than what I can buy - in Portugal it may be different.  I also find it a good way to use up eggs - our chooks are wonderful layers!  I have a Marcatto pasta roller that I bought second-hand and I really love it. I don't have any of the special attachments, but am happy making fettuccine and lasagna sheets etc.