How To Make Pasta 101
Pasta (Italian pasta, from Latin pasta “dough, pastry cake”, from Greek (pasta) “barley porridge”) is a generic term for foods made from an unleavened dough of flour and water, and sometimes a combination of egg and flour.
I have heard many people say that homemade pasta tastes surreal. It is like comparing..hmmm….well…apples and oranges (I made that one up myself). Well, I stand here before you to say….home made pasta will sweep you off your feet faster than any dude from 50 Shades of Grey.
It was so easy, so fast and so delightful in it’s execution that I am wondering why you are still sitting there and not out shopping for a pasta maker. I must add, that I used a food processor to make the pastry dough…so that could be sacrilegious to some but did not change my experience. If you don’t have a food processor, make the dough the same way only follow non-food processor instructions (making the well, putting eggs/oil in well and slowly kneading and pulling in flour as you form a ball). Here is a video of me making pasta-You will note that I have changed the order of food processor ingredients, you will see why when you witness my 4 pulse/16 pulse debacle. The rest is the same though and will give you an good idea about how to run the dough through the pasta maker
Lets go.
Recipe
2 large eggs
1 tablespoons of olive oil
1/4 teaspoons of salt
Directions
1 1/2 cups (or more) of white flour. You can use a super fine flour for pasta making called Tip “00″ flour. I just use regular because it is very important to me that you try just making pasta and worry about details later. Keep it as simple as possible so that you gain a little confidence.
Add egg, oil and salt to the food processor and pulse to mix the well. Add half a cup of flour to form a thick batter, mix for 10 seconds.
Now turn on the food processor continually (non pulse) and slowly add the flour 1/4 cup at a time until you form a nice soft, gushy ball. It does not need to be completely non sticky because you will next flop the ball on a floured surface and knead gently until the balls is smooth and soft. As you make the pasta, more and more flour with end up in the dough as you roll it in the pasta maker. Leave perfection at the door until you get a hang of things.
When dough is ready, you can pull out that pasta maker and begin the process of rolling out the dough, 2 times on each setting, going from 1-7. Actually, depending on the type of pasta you are making you may end off at 6. 7 is really thin, and lovely.
When dough is at the desired setting (thickness) it can now become anything you want. Just follow the recipe you want.
Next, the meal plan. I decided to make a simple dish that would show case my beautiful creation. Here is the recipe. It is called Simple Sausage Carbonara. (special thanks to my buddy Jamie Oliver for the Carbonara Recipe).
Beautiful pictures! My grandma is Italian and has an old pasta machine. Sometimes we make homemade pasta and homemade ravioli. I agree with you – it’s wonderful!
Nash just told me 5 minutes ago that your pasta was delicious tonight and why don’t I make pasta more often?
too funny!
That is beautiful!I wish I had one at home.I came across your blog from the foodieblogroll and I’d love to guide our readers to your site if you won’t mind.Just add your choice of foodista widget to this post and it’s all set, Thanks!