In these troubled times, pasta is of the essence. As the mad rush to load up on as much fusilli, farfalle and fettuccine as a trolley can carry has taught us, the only thing people are more worried about than a deadly virus is the prospect of a month without Italian food. In hindsight, this may be a slightly over-zealous reaction.
If you managed to resist the temptation to buy every dried pasta packet you could get your hands on, you may now be feeling slightly forlorn about the lack of options in your kitchen cupboard. Fortunately, it’s never been easier to make your own pasta from scratch. Even if mixing, kneading, rolling and shaping feels a little intimidating, there is a workaround ready to be delivered to your door.
Available on Amazon, the Geker automatic pasta maker is a top of the range gadget that takes all the effort out of making pasta out of your hands. The machine is not only capable of making nine different types of pasta, but also mixes and kneads the dough itself. All you have to do is add the ingredients, press a button, and make it rain noodles.
According to the description on Amazon, the Geker can make “Angel hair”, “Thin spaghetti”, “Thick spaghetti”, “Large fettucini”, “Garganelli”, “Macaroni”, “Square” and “Fettucini”, as well as “Dumpling wrapper(s)” that can be used to create a range of other filled pastas. The device also features an “automatic dough roller” and a “Child Safety Device”, so you can have pasta fun for the whole family.
Have a go at these 3 incredibly creamy Vegan Pasta recipes:On the downside, the high-tech machine comes with a hefty price tag - costing a whopping £499.99 on Amazon. However, despite the huge cost, customers seem to be broadly satisfied with their purchase. The Geker has a 4.3 out of 5 rating, with 71% of reviews rating the device 5 out of 5. According to one happy customer:
“I ordered this as a birthday present from my daughter's account. I originally planned to buy the kitchen helper noodle attachment, but I was interested in the automatic process of this attachment. We can't stop making pasta! It is very easy to use and I love not having to wait for the pasta to rest and I REALLY love not having to knead it by hand! The pasta is pretty good too! I haven't tried the various recipes included in the book yet, but the basic recipe works so well! It can be a bit difficult to clean, but I think some parts are dishwasher safe? I just haven't tried it because I'm scared. It's so much fun, I recommend 10/10!”
Obviously in these troubled times, splashing the best part of £500 on a pasta maker might not be the most prudent investment.
However, if you’re still keen to get cooking, there are much more affordable options available. For instance, a manual pasta maker, which will help you to roll out your dough properly, costs around £30. It might not have all the bells and whistles, but it will definitely get the job done.
This article originally appeared on TwistedFood.co.uk