Homemade Pasta
Making your own pasta is actually pretty easy and fast! I always got so excited going to my nonna's house to help her make homemade pasta, probably more excited to eat it for dinner actually. Luckily my mom and dad did the same at home, because I absolutely love pasta when it is homemade. I make it at home often for myself and friends. There was never a recipe, it is just what nonna did. Hopefully I can put our actions into words in a way that this will be easy enough to follow along. Good luck!
This will make about a pound of pasta. Nonna always told me, about a cup of flour for every egg. Don't forget to let the fresh pasta dry a little before cutting to prevent noodles from sticking together. When ready to cook, fresh pasta cooks pretty fast, so while boiling, once it rises up to the top of the pot, remove from the water.
Ingredients
3 cups of all purpose flour
4 eggs
1 teaspoon of salt
splash of water
Instructions
Use a clean working surface or even a large mixing bowl.
Create a mound of flour with a well in the middle (somewhat like a volcano)
Crack the eggs into the well, sprinkle with salt and using the palm of your hand splash some water over the eggs.
Use your fingers to start scrambling the eggs and gradually incorporating the flour into it. Once all the flour is mixed in you should have your ball of dough to start kneading on the work surface. If the dough is too moist you can add more flour.
Sprinkle flour over your surface and start kneading by pushing it away with the heel of your hands, then folding it back. Continue to knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic.
Shape the dough into the ball/log it is in and then cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 30 minutes.
***Use a pasta machine***
Cut off a piece of dough and flatten a little then sprinkle with some flour on each side.
Feed it through the widest setting of your pasta machine, should be the number 0.
Fold this piece in half or into thirds and feed it through again.
Feed through about another 4 times and make sure to sprinkle with flour between each time to avoid it from getting sticky.
You don't have to fold it anymore now, pass it through 2 times then adjust the roller to the next thinner setting. Keep doing this (2x on each setting) until you reach your desired thickness.
If you are making this pasta for ravioli, cannelloni or anything else that is stuffed, roll it out to its thinnest or second thinnest setting. Lay the long sheets out on a floured surface or hang to let dry before cutting. They will dry as you finish rolling out the rest of the dough.
***Cutting Noodles***
Cut by hand into desired strips for lasagna, ravioli, cannelloni pappardelle, etc.
For spaghetti or linguine, feed a sheet of the dough through the desired blade on the machine. As it is cutting let it fall and lightly grab, layout on a lightly floured surface or hang to dry for a little before cooking.
We’d love to see your finished product! Post your picture on Instagram, tag us @danimade.kitchen and hashtag it #danimade.