Swapped my store-bought pasta for homemade semolina, huge difference

For months I was buying $1 boxes of dry pasta from the grocery store, but after I spent $3 on a bag of semolina flour and made my own from scratch, the texture was so much better. It took like 20 minutes to roll out and cut, but it held sauce way better than the boxed stuff ever did. Anybody else tried making their own pasta on a budget?

2 comments

2 Comments

tylermurray8d ago

I read somewhere that the protein content in semolina is way higher than standard all-purpose flour, which is why homemade pasta has that springy bite instead of turning to mush. It makes sense when you think about it, because that extra gluten structure is what holds onto the sauce instead of it sliding off. Boxed pasta is convenient and all, but they dry it so fast that the starch cells don't form the same way. My buddy tried making it with just flour and eggs once, said it was rubbery until he used semolina. He told me he found a 2-pound bag at an international market for around $2.50, which is basically the same price per box as the cheap stuff. I've been meaning to get a cheap hand crank roller, but I saw a video where a lady just used a wine bottle to flatten hers. Kind of want to try that just to see if it works.

jamienguyen8d ago

Used to think homemade pasta was just for food snobs, but after trying it once I totally get it now. That fresh texture really does make a difference, especially with the sauce sticking to it.