My opinion on the Imperia pasta machine

Given that interest in things made at home is growing, and that many of you are curious to understand exactly how the Imperia pasta machine works, today Virginia -author of Sweet & Sour- tells us her point of view on this utensil and how to use it.

The flavor and texture offered by homemade fresh pasta is incomparable to that of fresh pasta purchased in supermarkets. And make no mistake, it is much easier than you might imagine. In fact, in my case, since I got my Imperia Pasta machine years ago, no other fresh pasta has entered the house, with few exceptions.

Preparing the fresh pasta dough is simple, flour, semolina and egg. But where in many cases the "quiz" of the question comes is in the manipulation of that mass until obtaining the desired thickness and cut.

With the Imperia pasta machine it is simple because, to stretch the dough to the desired thickness, it has rollers that progressively, and along 9 different levels, adjust the thickness of our sheet from 2.5 mm to 0.3 mm, with no more effort than turning the crank. You just have to take the precaution of lightly flouring the piece of dough and the pasta will pass between the rollers without problems, obtaining a longer and thinner sheet each time.

In addition, the adjustment of the roller allows you to leave the pasta the desired thickness according to the type of cut or pasta chosen. Slightly thicker for the lasagna sheets and thinner for the tagliatelle or the pasta that we are going to use to fill.

Beetroot pasta with gorgonzola sauce

With this Imperia pasta machine you forget about the manual rolling pin , effortlessly obtaining sheets of the same thickness without having to invest time, so that when cooking it is a light and pleasant pasta to the palate.

So that the machine does not move during handling, it is provided with an anchoring system to the table, which is very safe.

The machine is also accompanied by a cutting head, for two different types of shapes: Fettucine (6.5 mm), and noodles (2.00 mm), also allowing the preparation of 15.00 mm lasagna sheets.

And I can assure you that if there is something that I have to highlight about the Imperia Pasta machine , and that the difference from other cheaper brands, is its cutting capacity. The cheapest brands have heads whose cutting capacity leaves much to be desired, since in many cases, due to the material used in their manufacture, they do not cut the dough completely, so in the end you have to invest a lot of time in separate the strips manually. But it is that on top of that, in most cases it is impossible to carry out this work without tearing the dough, so in addition to losing a large part of the preparation that ends up in the trash, you end up with very bad temper and giving up on the preparation of homemade fresh pasta. This I can assure you does not happen with the Imperia Pasta machine , with which you cut 300 gr. dough in a few minutes.

And it is that Imperia is a recognized quality brand, made with the best materials, and that for generations has allowed Italians to prepare their well-known fresh pasta at home without major complications.

It is made of stainless steel, it is easy to clean and maintain, because just by passing a damp cloth it cleans perfectly, due to its chrome plating. Although I have to admit that I like to pass a large brush beforehand to remove traces of flour.

If you make the mistake of preparing a very soft paste and there is any remaining mass attached to the heads, it is easy to remove with the help of the tip of a wooden skewer.

Fettuccini with eggplant and cherry tomato

Its dimensions are suitable for storing it in any closet at home, as it is removable, leaving the body on one side, and the clamp, the crank and the cutting head on the other.
It is not a heavy machine, although it is robust, which is light and easy to move.
Its assembly is simple, by simple coupling, and allows both right-handed and left-handed users to use it, since you can place it in both directions, just like the cutting head.

Lastly, you will tell me... But it will be expensive... Well, no, for only €64.50 you can get all these elements that will allow you to prepare your own fresh pasta. In addition , the Imperia pasta machine has accessories and heads to prepare other types of pasta, such as ravioli or the Imperia pasta dryer.

In short, it is an investment for a lifetime, with the Imperia machine fresh pasta will delight even the most demanding palates or simply for any little cook who wants to prepare fresh pasta to taste.

For those of you who dare to try freshly made pasta, or for those who wish to be inspired, I encourage you to see a couple of recipes that you will surely love:

- Beet tagliatelle with gorgonzola sauce and pine nuts

- Fettuccini with eggplant and cherry tomato