Homemade Pasta

There are some DIY kitchen tasks that I consider to be staples. Such easy things as mustard and yogurt and only slightly more complicated Cilantro-Raisin Chutney, which I love so much it has been replenished continually for nearly two years without a break. Homemade pasta actually tops this list as well, and before you can say that it’s too complicated, let me offer you a bite of fresh, hot, silky noodles and you will change your mind in an instant.

Vegan? This is semolina pasta, made with little more than flour and water…

Long before I had the kitchen gonzo I have now, I’ve made pasta. It’s almost miraculous that such simple staples as flour and eggs can transform into such a rich and satisfying thing. My mother has made pasta by hand under the guise of noodles since I was just a little child. When she bought an Atlas pasta machine, a hand cranked, stainless steel roller, and never used it, I inherited it from her and it only made the pasta-making even easier.

Pasta that isn’t rolled thinly is still pasta, I just like to call them noodles instead. Noodles are rustic and delicious in soups and with chunky Italian-style tomato based sauces. They are also pretty fantastic dressed only in good butter, salt and pepper. If you don’t have a pasta maker, don’t let it stop you from a little flying flour and a few minutes of quality time hand kneading. Your rewarding labors will spoil you from boxed pastas forever.

Dry noodles on a floured sheet, and use them pretty quickly since they won’t dry fully.

I think the reason I love egg pasta so much is that the first real recipe I used came from a wonderfully written book by Marcella Hazan. She has specific instruction on how long to knead the pasta dough by hand, which I actually used to do using a kitchen timer. Now I find that if I just knead it for several minutes, I can do any final kneading using my pasta machine. I just keep folding the dough over and letting the machine’s rollers do some of the work for me. If you do this too, just make sure that the dough feels “hydrated”, soft and smooth and your final pasta will have the same characteristics.

The only special equipment you truly need is a rolling pin, but I also have a pasta drying rack that I received as a gift. It stores easily, and if you find you enjoy making pasta, I’d say it is a good investment. Prior to my drying rack, I used a smaller sized clothes drying rack that I had picked up at a rummage and cleaned well. But, especially in the case of thicker cut noodles, a sheet pan dusted with flour works just fine… you just won’t be able to get fully dried pasta to be shelf stable like you can with thinner, air dried noodles.

Marcella says that the basic proportion of egg pasta is 2 large eggs for 1 cup of flour, but this can vary, with temperature, humidity and size of eggs. You can “correct” the dough with a little water if it’s too dry and add more flour if it is too wet, but aim for a dough that is “neither dry and crumbly nor too sticky,” and you’ll be fine. I also like to work in a wide bowl instead of directly on the counter to contain some of the mess.

Egg Pasta (Marcella Hazan, Marcella Cucina)

1 c. all purpose flour
2 large eggs
pinch of salt, optional

Pour the flour into a wide bowl, and make a deep well the the center. Crack the whole eggs into the center, and using a large fork begin to scramble the eggs. When the eggs are fully mixed, continue using the fork to draw some of the flour into the eggs from around the edges of the well a little at a time. When the eggs are no longer runny and a dough looks like it’s coming together, use your hands to draw in the sides of the mound and incorporate more flour. (You may not need all of the flour in the bowl.) (Watch this video for a similar method, and a visual on what the dough should look like.)

When the dough feels like it could become too dry if you add any more flour, wash and dry your hands. Press your clean thumb into the center of the dough, and if it comes out clean, your dough is ready. If it comes out sticky, you may need more flour.

Knead the dough by hand for eight minutes according to Marcella, which does work. If you do have a pasta machine, you can skimp on this time a little bit and pass the dough through the rollers a few extra times. At this point, I usually rest the dough (covered with a bowl so it doesn’t dry out) for an hour to relax the gluten – but you don’t need to. You can begin to roll it out using the pasta machine, or by hand using a rolling pin. Divide the dough into smaller portions (I usually go with about six) to make it a bit easier to work with.

beet pasta.

Once you get the hang of pasta making, you can easily substitute flavorings for some of the liquid. I’ve made beet, spinach, and even radish green pasta using virtually the same method. You can also experiment with different flours, keeping in mind that gluten varies in different varieties and that you just need to aim for a nice smooth dough that isn’t too sticky. A whole world of new flavors will magically open up to you, all beginning with just eggs and flour. I really hope you’ll try it! If you have questions, send me an email – I’ll be happy to help you!