Anyone who has ever made pasta from scratch knows that fresh is truly best. But making homemade pasta is time consuming, and often requires extra tools that the average home cook may not have, such as a pasta roller and pasta cutter.

If you love pasta, but lack the time and patience required to make it from scratch, get this innovative pasta machine from Phillips. Right now, the kitchen appliance is 40% off on Amazon, saving you $100. (It also makes a great Christmas gift for someone who loves to cook.)

Phillips Viva Collection pasta and noodle maker

This Phillips countertop appliance does pretty much all of the pasta-making work for you. All you have to do is add flour and eggs, turn the machine on, and the pasta machine will do the kneading and extruding, producing fresh pasta in just 18 minutes. 

Included with your purchase are two measuring cups, one for your flour and one for your eggs, or egg and water mixture. Make sure to use these cups for the best results. One cup of flour yields about a half a cup of pasta. You can use all-purpose flour, or other varieties such as durum, spelt or whole wheat. And if you'd like to add some extra flavor and color to your pasta, you can add vegetable juices such as beet and spinach to your mixture. 

In addition to measuring cups, this purchase includes a recipe booklet if you're in need of inspiration or instruction, as well as three pasta shaping discs that create spaghetti, fettuccine and penne pasta. The pasta maker comes with a little drawer to store these discs and the power cord. We like that the pasta maker is small enough that it won't take up too much counter space -- it's no bigger than the average home coffee maker.

The Phillips Viva Collection pasta and noodle maker has a 4.3-star rating on Amazon. One reviewer says that they "Love this machine! I wish I got [it] years ago," they continue. "[I] can't believe how easy it is to be able to enjoy fresh pasta." 

Another reviewer wrote: "So fun! There was a bit of a learning curve at the beginning, but now that I've gotten the hang of it, I love this thing! Nothing compares to the taste of fresh pasta and it's even better when you throw some herbs in too. Overall it's pretty easy to use, just have to make sure you follow the recipes exactly." 

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