BEHOLD!

A new tool! No, it's not for rolling Fimo clay...it was actually purchased for its intended purpose: pasta making.

I must say, I am quite pleased with myself for locating this exotic tool on our quaint little island (do you detect the sarcasm?). After I discovered the delicious recipe for Roasted Butternut Squash and Spinach Lasagne in THIS fabulous book, I was on the hunt for a pasta machine.

I originally thought I would buy the pasta rolling attachment for my Kitchen Aid stand mixer - alas, I did not want to spend $149+ in the event I was once again discouraged from a career in pasta-making. Let me back up a bit...

Many years ago I found a recipe for tri-color pasta ribbons and thought they would make fabulous Christmas gifts for friends and family. Over the course of a very long weekend, I cooked the vegetables for the colors, mixed the pasta, rolled and cut it (using my hand cranked pasta machine much like the one pictured above), and lovingly laid it out on the kitchen counter to dry. We came back to the kitchen several hours later only to discover that our very fluffy Persian cat decided that the pasta made a wonderful bed. EEUUUWWWW. After a good cry, the pasta was dumped in the trash and the machine unceremoniously tossed onto the garage sale pile.

Fast forward 15 or so years, and here I am again with the urge to make fresh pasta, but not at considerable expense just in case I am thwarted again. I found it at Ross for $16.99.

UPDATE:  Pasta turned out great!  Although I don't intend to make a career of it, I'm glad I have the machine.