Some people are really intimidated by making pasta from scratch. But making fresh homemade pasta can really be such a therapeutic experience. It is for me and it’s even something my son loves doing. What’s also great about homemade pasta making is that it’s truly not that complicated and only requires a little bit of effort. Even an inexperienced cook can pull it off.
Let’s make homemade pasta
I work right on my counter top. If you don’t have a good enough work surface, you can do this in a bowl or even use a food processor. There are many different recipe variations out there, from whole egg versus yolk and different types of flours.
For the sake of easy, we are going to use my basic recipe to make homemade pasta. Start with flour in the shape of a little mountain on the counter (or in the bowl) and then make a little well in the center with your fingers. Then add the eggs into that well one by one.
I add one egg and with the fork I start mixing from the inner wall of the well pulling into the center in slow circle motions, and I continue this process with the rest of the eggs, one by one.
Don’t worry, you’re doing it right
By this time, you might just have a crumbly mess. Don’t worry you’re on the right track. Add a little bit of oil and start to work it in. It still may be a little dry at this point and that’s ok. From this point on, you can add a teaspoon of water at a time until it all starts to come together. Just be careful because you don’t want the dough to be super wet. It only needs to be moist enough to work all the ingredients in.
After continuous needing and mixing you should finally have a nice smooth ball of dough. If for some reason you don’t, keep trying with the water. In it’s final stage it should be the consistency of play dough. Now cover it and let it rest for 20 min to a half hour.
Once rested cut the dough into 4 equal pieces. Starting with the first piece, flatten with your rolling pin. If you don’t have a pasta machine don’t worry. All you need is your rolling pin and some elbow grease. How do you think they made homemade pasta in the olden days. You can get a nice little workout in before your carb overload.
Homemade pasta using a rolling pin, no problem
First you will need to roll out the dough until you get it really thin, and when you think its thin enough, roll a little more. Then with a pizza cutter or knife cut into long strips. You can make a rustic homemade pasta like pappardelle just cut them about a 1/4 to 1/2 inch wide. This type of pasta goes great with a hearty meat sauce.
Using a pasta machine..
Now if you do have a pasta maker, this process is going to be a bit easier. The Pasta machine I have is the Marcato Atlas 150 and it is one of thee best Christmas gifts I’ve ever received thanks to my sister. These machines are pretty affordable and a nice item to own. So, if you love the idea of making fresh pasta, I think it’s definitely a great purchase. The best part is that it’s really simple to use.
Now the fun part
Now to start, take your first piece of dough and run it thru the machine. You will want to start on the #1 setting which is the thickest setting. You need it on this setting so the dough can actually squeeze through the rollers. I like to run it through two times to get it nice and smooth.
Make the pasta super thin
It will still be a bit too thick at this point so you can keep adjusting the settings higher until you get to your desired thinness. I would say run it through up to about #4 or #5 setting. Once they’re nice and thin, these sheets can be used for lasagna or even ravioli. The beauty of this machine is that it is equipped with a spaghetti and Fettuccini attachment right on the backside.
Homemade pasta is almost done
Once you’ve ran your dough though, you get beautiful even cut pastas. After your batches are cut it’s a good idea to dry them out for just a bit before you boil. There are a few ways to do this. You can lightly flour parchment or your counter top and leave them in little nests.
Or you can hang the pasta strands on pasta drying rack. I have one that I got as a gift from my sister and you can get one right from amazon. If you don’t have a drying rack and don’t want to purchase, you can use a bakers cooling rack, or hang over the sides of a tall pot or deep bowl.
Once you are ready to cook your pasta, get a pot of water and bring to a rolling boil. Salt generously and add your pasta in handfuls. Don’t forget to salt the water because this is the best time to flavor your pasta. Since this is fresh, it will only take about 3 minutes to cook. It will float to the surface when ready.
Fresh pasta is just a whole different experience. It’s so much more comforting and more delicious than boxed. So, if you have about an hour to spare, and want to try something new, go for it. It’s such a way to step up your cooking game.
Ingredients:
1 cup of all purpose flour
3 whole eggs
some room temp water
olive oil
Directions:
Take a cup of flour on a flat surface or bowl. Create a well in the center and one at a time mix in the whole egg. Make sure to mix from the inner circle outwards. Continue to add all the eggs until you have a crumbled mix. Add two teaspoons of oil and continue to knead adding one teaspoon of water at a time until the dough comes together into a smooth ball.
Play with your food
It should have the consistency of play dough. If it’s too mushy or pasty, you’ve added too much liquid. At this point add a little bit more flour to get the right texture. *To use the food processor see below
*Once all incorporated
form into a ball and let rest on the counter for around 30 minute. I wouldn’t leave it too much longer. After resting flatten with a rolling pin into a disc. Cut into 4 equal pieces and one at a time roll flat and proceed to run through you pasta machine starting on the thickest setting and continuing to run through until the thinnest desired setting. Once you chosen the cut of you pasta dry for approximately 20 minutes.
Get the water boiling…
Get a large pot of water boiling and add a generous amount of salt. This is truly your best time to get your pasta sorted. Droop pasta in small batches and stir and boil for about 3 minutes or until it floats to the top. Drain and set aside and continue until all the pasta is boiled. Pour over your favorite sauce and enjoy. I personally love fresh pasta with a Bolognese. It’s so comforting and delicious.
