Homemade Pasta

There's nothing like homemade pasta!

My granddaughter has been asking to learn how to make homemade pasta, so I got out my old pasta machine and we had a lot of fun making these delicious and easy noodles together. I even found an old cassette tape with all Italian music to add to the ambiance. Now, finding something to play it on took a bit longer...I'm so glad my hubby doesn't throw anything away.  

Funny, I haven't made them in so long, I forgot how incredibly easy they are to make! Within an hour and a half, we were done...and some of that time was letting the dough dry a bit before putting the pieces through the pasta machine.  


Ingredients:
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. olive oil (optional)
3-4 Tbsp. water


In a large bowl, combine flour and salt.  Make a well in the center and pour in the eggs, olive oil, and 1-2 Tbsp. of the water.  Mix together until it forms a stiff dough.  Add more water if necessary, 1 tablespoon at a time.

On a lightly floured surface, knead dough for about 3 to 4 minutes or this can be done with a dough hook in your Kitchen Aid machine.  Cover and let rest 15 minutes. 

With a pasta machine or by hand roll dough out to desired thinness.  Make sure each piece is lightly floured and left out to dry for just a few minutes.  

What to use when you don't have a "pasta drying rack" haha! 

Using a pasta machine or knife (I like to use a pizza cutter) to cut into strips of desired width.  If you're cutting the noodles by hand, loosely roll the thin dough like a jelly roll, and slice into desired width.  Unroll them and lay out on a lightly floured board.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil;  using a large amount of water will  prevent the pasta from sticking together.drop.  Drop the pasta gently into the water and stir just once or twice.  If you have enough water in the pot, sticking shouldn't be a problem.

DO NOT COVER the pot or the water will boil over. Quickly bring the pasta back to a rolling boil, stir, and boil until al dente, or firm to the bite, about 2-3 minutes. 

Drain into a colander.  Add enough sauce to the hot pasta and toss.  Serve immediately with your favorite sauce, olive oil or melted butter.

Yields: 4-6 servings


Be encouraged!

"You are royal priests, a holy nation, God's very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into ... the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light." - 1 Peter 2:9