Cutting Pasta with a Hand-Cranked Roller Machine
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Cutting Pasta Using a Hand Crank Machine

Homemade pasta can be cut into shapes and different width noodles by the use of different types of pasta machines. The pasta shapes and noodles are cut by the use of different dies and cutting rollers on the pasta machines. There are hand-cranked machines and electric machines available for cutting shapes and noodles. Some information on how the different types of machines are used to cut and shape pasta is shown below.

Also see Cutting and Shaping Pasta by Hand

The machine rolled pasta strips (through Step 6 in Homemade Fresh Pasta) can be cut into different width noodles through the machine. Be sure the rolled strips have dried for 15 to 30 minutes before sending them through the pasta machine. This will help prevent them from sticking together. Do not let them get overly dry or they will crack as they go through the rollers. Lightly dust the strips with flour before sending them through the pasta machine. This will help the machine produce a clean cut when cutting the noodles.

  1. Be sure the proper cutting attachment has been applied to the machine for the width of pasta you want cut and then begin to feed the strip of pasta into the machine. Turn the handle with one hand and catch the pasta with the other hand as it is coming out of the machine. This will prevent the noodles from falling into one big pile.

  2. Spread the noodles out on a lightly floured surface, a floured dish towel or hang them over the back of a chair on a floured towel. If a drying rack is available, hang the noodles on the rack to dry. Allow them to dry for at least 15 minutes before cooking. The drying period will allow the noodles to firm up slightly and help prevent them from sticking to each other.

  3. Tagliatelle, fettuccine, Linquine, tagliolini, and pappardelle can all be cut with a hand-cranked pasta machine by the use of different width cutting attachments. After noodles are sent through and cut to the desire width, they can be cut to the length required.

Note: Hand-Cranked Extrusion Machine - The extrusion machine can produce shapes such as macaroni, rigatoni, bucatini, and fusilli. The shapes that can be made will depend on the dies available for that machine. As the pasta shapes are extruded from the machine, they must be cut off at the desired length. The Extrusion Machine is a separate machine and can only be used to make these sorts of shapes, not flat noodles.