How to Use a Pasta Machine For More than Pasta

Did you know you can use your pasta machine or pasta roller for more than pasta?

A pasta machine or pasta roller is designed to more easily, more evenly and more quickly roll out thin pasta. Traditionally, at-home pasta makers use rolling pins of various sizes to roll out dough into very thin sheets which are then cut to size (e.g. thin ribbons, long sheets, etc.). This is an amazing art, and it takes time, skill and a lot of counter space (I know from experience!).

A manual or automatic pasta machine or pasta roller can make this much easier. Smaller amounts of dough are fed into the pasta roller and it then rolls the dough out to the desired thickness. These machines have various settings to roll dough as thick or thin as you like.

You can buy an inexpensive manual roller, or, if you have a stand mixer (like KitchenAid®), there are original and third-party attachments for pasta rolling (and cutting).

What else can I do with a pasta machine or pasta roller?

There are various pastry types that require a thin dough. Aside from pasta and noodles, thin dough is required to make things like egg roll wrappers, dumpling wrappers, phyllo pastry and more.

For example, you can make a very simple dumpling dough (flour and water) and use a pasta machine to roll it out into long strips. You can then use a cookie cutter to quickly cut out multiple dumpling wrappers in one go.

You can also make rolled baklava, meat pies, spanakopita and more with a homemade phyllo (or filo) dough. After making a simple dough, you can roll it out to the thinnest setting to make sheets that can be rolled or layered.

Ideas for your Pasta Machine or Pasta Roller:

• Pasta or Noodles (default use)
• Pasta sheets (e.g.lasagna sheets, default use)
• Sheets for filled pasta/pockets, such as Ravioli or the german Maultaschen
• Egg roll Wrappers
• Samosa Wrappers
• Dumpling Wrappers, such as pot stickers, wontons, pierogi, etc.
• Empanada or Pasty dough (some)
• Phyllo (or Filo) Sheets
• Strudel Dough
• Rough Puff Pastry Sheets (not laminated doughs)

Here are some tips for using your pasta roller for other than long noodles!

Filled Pasta

Although filled pasta, like ravioli, is a very common use of a pasta machine, you can make other types of filled pastas. For example, I use my pasta roller to make pasta sheets for the german Maultaschen dish. They are similar to ravioli and filled with a meat and spinach filling.

How to prepare dough sheets for Filled Pasta:

Method 1:

1. Roll out your dough sheet to the desired thickness.
2. Evenly spread your filling along one long side (or in the middle) and fold the roll over to enclose. Use a stick like a chopstick to seal and create individual pockets and cut with a knife or ravioli cutter (see GIF image).

Method 2: Individual Portions

1. Roll out your dough sheet to the desired thickness.
2. Using a piping bag or spoon, evenly space out your desired amount of filling across the dough sheet along one long edge.
3. Fold the other half the dough and gently press around your filling to enclose.
4. Cut your sheet around the pockets you created with a knife or cutter.

Egg Roll or Samosa Wrappers

These filled packets can be made beginning with a long sheet from the pasta roller and then cut according to your preference.

How to roll and cut Egg Roll and Samosa Wrappers:

After rolling your dough sheets to your desired thickness:

• For triangles: cut them into long thin strips, as you would buy at the store
• For long rolls: cut the sheet into even squares, as you would buy at the store

Dumpling Wrappers

I love using my pasta roller to make dumpling wrappers because I can do it much more quickly than rolling individual wrappers by hand.

How to roll and cut Dumpling Wrappers:

After rolling your dough sheets to your desired thickness:

• For circular dumpling wrappers – Option 1: maintain the long sheet(s) and cut individual circles using a cookie cutter.
• For circular dumpling wrappers – Option 2: maintain the long sheet(s) and ensure they are not sticky with flour or corn starch. Beginning at a short edge, identify a square a little more than the width of your cookie cutter. Fold the dough over and over (like a long towel or blanket) so that you have a folded square with multiple layers within it. Now, use the cookie cutter and cut a circle through this folded stack. This creates multiple circles in one cut. Separate them immediately to avoid sticking. (It’s like cutting out multiple paper snowflakes when we were kids!)
• For long rolls: cut the sheet in half lengthwise and then into even squares, as you would buy at the store. Or, follow Method 2 of the Filled Pasta instructions above.

Phyllo (Filo) Dough, Strudel Dough, Rough Puff Pastry or similar doughs

These doughs all vary in how they are made, but the common theme is you often buy these in sheets. Simply make the doughs according to your favorite recipe (they only use a few ingredients) and when you are ready to roll, use your pasta roller to create thin sheets.

Thinness Limitation Note: You may want your doughs to be even thinner than the thinnest setting on your machine. For example, phyllo (filo) and authentic Viennese strudel dough should be thin enough to see through. My manual pasta roller can achieve close to this, but my automatic one cannot.

If you need even thinner dough, you can use a rolling pin to manually roll out that last bit. The pasta roller would have done 90%+ of the work, depending on your machine, and you will have even rectangles to work with.

You can cut even sheets and roll individually with your rolling pin, or stack them like paper (ensuring they aren’t sticking) and roll them together.

Limitations when using your Pasta Roller

You are basically limited to the maximum functionalities of your specific pasta roller. For example, the most thin or thick settings on a pasta roller vary by machine. For limits with thinness, see Thinness Limitation Note above, under Phyllo (Filo) Dough, Strudel Dough, Rough Puff Pastry or similar doughs.

Another limitation you may have is with the width of your pasta roller. This won’t be an issue as much with noodles, lasgana, filled pastas or dumplings. The only time I encountered an issue is with phyllo dough.

With phyllo dough, I typically buy sheets that are both thinner or wider.

• For thinness limit: see Thinness Limitation Note above, under Phyllo (Filo) Dough, Strudel Dough, Rough Puff Pastry or similar doughs.

• For width limit: rolling it out manually, as indicated above, widens the sheets more, especially when I roll in the direction of the width. I will either bake smaller-sized portions or individual items (e.g. rolled baklava fingers), or I use a baking pan to accommodate the width. Alternatively, I will cut sheets and lay them next to each other, as needed

Get Creative with your “Pasta” Machine or Roller!

As you can see, a pasta roller is so much more when you take out the “pasta.” It’s really just a rolling machine that will help you achieve even and consistent thin dough and pastry sheets for you to get creative with!

From Argentine Empanadas, to Ukranian Vareniki (filled dumplings) to Egyptian Goulash (phyllo meat pie), to Japanese Gyoza wrappers – you can use your “pasta” machine or roller for dishes from around the world.