Fresh pasta is amazing. The texture and flavor of homemade pasta will really impress just about everyone. Making your own pasta is satisfying work, but can be difficult. If you are planning to roll your own pasta at home, you don’t just need a good rolling pin, you need the best.
A lot of rolling pins are pretty useless, designed more for looks than functionality, and most are not suitable as they have not been designed with rolling pasta in mind. Given the hundreds of rolling pins available, buying one for your pasta can be confusing, but you don’t need to worry. We’ve put in the research and checked out hundreds of reviews so we can make suggestions to you as to what to look for in your potential purchase. We also have several fantastic options to show you, and explain what makes them great.
Which rolling pin is best for pasta?
Rolling pins come in a wide range of styles and materials. The traditional style are simple cylindrical pieces of heavy wood. Some are bigger, others are smaller. There are tapered and untapered style, pins with solid handles and some with rolling handles. There are also pins with bumps or other gimmicks like those fillable with ice. Most of the gimmicky features are generally pretty useless, except for rare and very specialized uses.
The style is up to you, but for hard doughs like pasta it’s important to make sure your rolling pin won’t stick. An important consideration is that it must be possible for you to provide enough force, so the heavier types like the solid pieces of wood or marble are probably better than those with separate handles. An advantage of the solid (French-style) rolling pins is the ease of cleaning, as flour cannot get stuck down between the pin and the handle.
The material for a rolling pin is very important to consider, especially if you are planning to use it for homemade pasta. Primarily, they are made of wood, marble, or silicone. Pins made of plastic and other materials are generally not worth considering. Although silicone is well known for its non stick capabilities, flour slides right off it, meaning it’s not the best option for making most doughs, including pasta dough. Wood is usually the best go-to option for all purposes of rolling, but they can be difficult to clean – especially when dealing with egg doughs like pasta. Marble is a fantastic option, and is especially good if your kitchen is warm, as it stays nice and cold, especially after a little resting in the freezer.
Benefits of owning a rolling pin for pasta
If you want the very best of fresh pasta, handmade and cooked in your own home to perfection, then you definitely need a rolling pin. While you may have a pasta maker machine, it is still necessary to roll the dough to a suitable thickness before you can feed it into the machine. Owning a good rolling pin will make your job a lot easier making pasta. You really should throw away your cheap plastic pin, and enjoy the ease and precision you can get with a piece of quality, simple engineering.
Top rolling pin choices for pasta
J.K. Adams FRP-1 Maple French Rolling Pin
This is a classic, fairly standard but top quality rolling pin. It is proudly made in USA from sustainable, renewable maple wood by a trusted name in kitchenware. Reviewers love the perfect length of the rolling pin, and the easy to hold tapered ends. One downside is that because it is a traditional wooden rolling pin, it is necessary to look after the wood. You can’t soak it in water because it might crack or warp, and you might occasionally want to rub it with a suitable oil. However, if your main use is for dough with a high fat content, that might be sufficient.
See the J.K. Adams FRP-1 Maple French Rolling Pin at Amazon
It is useful to note that wood is naturally antibacterial, as long as it is washed with warm soapy water and air-dried correctly (don’t leave it in a puddle to warp and rot). This is a very simple but elegant design for a rolling pin, and the best example of a style that has been used for thousands of years.
Fox Run Marble Rolling Pin and Base
Want a beautiful, heavyweight, nonstick, stylish and easy to use rolling pin for your pasta or other doughs? This is for you. Buyers say the properties of marble help create perfect dough because of its cool and smooth surface. The heavy weight also facilitates an easy rolling of any dough, but is especially useful for tough kinds like pasta dough.
See the Fox Run 4050 Marble Rolling Pin and Base at Amazon
Featuring ball bearings for smooth rolling of the wooden handles, this rolling pin works great. Many people say they keep it out on the kitchen bench because it looks so beautiful and is a great conversation piece.
Best rolling pin for pasta
A rolling pin is an essential, if basic, piece of kitchen equipment and has many uses. Not all rolling pins are created equal though, and for pasta dough it is important to consider the properties before buying. For creating the very best pasta dough, we recommend the Fox Run Marble rolling pin that comes with its stylish base. Not just a pretty piece, the marble of this rolling pin adds great features such as staying cool, being nonstick and providing a hefty weight to make your rolling easier. Whichever model you do choose, make sure it is a good one, and your arms will thank you for the elbow grease you avoid!
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Image credit via Flickr Creative Commons: Flavio and photochem
