homemade pasta

15 years ago

I would like to try making pasta. After trying multiple combinations of search queries here and at recipezaar, no recipes emerged. Do you have a favorite recipe that is not too hard to make? I've make MIL's family recipe for rolled dumplings; it may be a similar process or recipe. I don't have access to any specialty flour, and I need to cut the noodles with a knife or ceramic pizza cutter. I need to go to the grocery store today. Thanks!

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Comments (25)

User
15 years ago
This is the way that I make mine. I use the FP to mix the dough, but I roll it out by hand and cut it by hand and leave it to dry on
.

Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table

Pasta - Homemade Pasta
======================
I watched a friends Italian Momma make her pasta one day. (She did it all by hand) I make it following her directions but I use the Food Processor to mix and knead.

1 egg for each cup of flour( plus an extra egg for every 3 cups of flour, ie. 3 cups flour = 4 eggs, 6 cups flour = 8 eggs.

Salt
1 tablespoon of olive oil, per three cups of flour

Put the flour on a large board and make a well in the centre.
Crack the eggs into the well and sprinkle with salt and oil . Use your
fingertips to mix up the eggs and then start to incorporate the flour
into the eggs. Eventually it will all come together. Knead dough until
smooth and elastical. Let sit covered for 15 or 20 minutes. Divide
dough into smaller portions and run through a pasta rolling machine or
roll out by hand. Let dry slightly and then cut into desire widths.
Leave out to dry or use fresh. When dried she always stored it in a wax
paper lined box, in a cool place.

You can also mix and knead this in the cuisinart, which is what I do
when I make it.

Once you get the right texture with the pasta dough you don't have to
add much flour. After the dough is kneaded to the right texture it just
needs to be rolled out either by hand or with a pasta roller machine.
If you are using a machine, you just keep changing the roller. You
start out on the widest setting and each time you put it through you
lower the setting until it is the thickness that you want. After you
have rolled out the dough and cut into strips, you should toss the
strands with flour which will help them dry out and not stick together.
My friends mom would make 12 and 15 egg pasta at a time and give it to
all of her family members (and me, a would-be family member). After she
cut the pasta she would lay the strands flat. She would have it spread
out everywhere there was a flat surface and also hang it from a
broomstick strung between two drawers. Once it was dry she would gather
up the stiff pieces and put them in boxes. Because I don't make that
much at a time, I just lay it all over my table and counter.

NOTE: Depending on the flour and the eggs, sometimes you will need
more eggs.
cotehele
Original Author
15 years ago
Ann, yours looks beautiful! I could never make those straight cuts. One question comes to mind -I'll probably have more once I try this- What kind of flour? I have KA organic AP and KA bread flour. I can look for something else at the grocery. DH hates any kind of whole wheat, even white whole wheat, unfortunately. Thank you so much.
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I generally use one part semolina to two parts regular flour. If made with only regular flour, it is too soft for me. Here's my recipe: Ingredients: 1/2 cup semolina flour 1 cup unbleached white flour, plus more for kneading 2 eggs 1/4 tsp salt Directions: Make the dough by combining all ingredients in a large food processor. Process until the dough forms a ball and rolls around without sticking to the sides. You may have to add small increments of flour to get to this point. If you have too much flour, you can add a few drops of water, but you will not want the dough too dry at this point. Remove the dough from the processor and knead with more flour until the dough is elastic and not sticky. Knead the dough by folding it over in half after it has been very lightly dusted with flour. Then flatten the dough and repeat folding over and flattening until it is the correct consistency. It is better to be slightly too wet than too dry, as flour can be added when you are putting it through the pasta machine. Allow the dough to rest for one hour, covered. This time is required for the moisture to be absorbed fully into the flour. Next, cut the dough into pieces making approximately 2" diameter balls and roll one piece out with a rolling pin so that it will be in a flat shape for the machine. Keep the rest of the dough covered until you are ready for it. When the dough piece is flat enough, put it through the machine at the first setting (#1) and then fold it into thirds and roll it through again at the same setting. This makes the dough into a more rectangular shape and gives it straight sides. Folding it over also allows you to get a tiny bit more flour into the dough. As you continue rolling the dough, sprinkle it with flour (I use a flour shaker.) to prevent it from sticking to the rollers. Excess flour can be dusted off but does not really hurt, since you will not be folding the dough again. When you have rolled out the dough, place the strips on a broom handle (or similar object) to dry for about an hour. Now it is ready to be cut into shapes. If you are making ravioli, there is no need to hang the strips to dry. I have tried making it with a bit of olive oil added to the dough, but the dough falls apart for me when I do that. Lars
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cotehele
Original Author
15 years ago
Ann, we had pasta for dinner. It was so good! Thank you!!

I need alot more experience;) The well was not deep enough for the eggs, and they leaked before I could get the oil and salt added. The dough was very stiff with 3 cups of KA AP flour and 4 eggs, but I added another egg. At that point I gave in and hauled out the FP. Cutting the dough was tedious, and I missed the line to toss with flour, so the strands kept sticking together in two or three places along the length of the cuts. We had the pasta with a homemade tomato sauce, asparagus and sweet corn. Thanks again for the recipe. I'll be making it often.
User
15 years ago
Sorry Cotehele, I missed your question. I don't like whole wheat pasta either. I just use unbleached all purpose flour.

Once you make it a few more times you will have a real feel for it and it will become easier. Glad you liked your homemade pasta.

Ann
grainlady_ks
15 years ago
Hubby gave me a cherry wood noodle-cutting rolling pin that works well (see link below). Prior to that I used a ruler and a pizza cutter.

For flour, I generally use freshly-milled durum wheat for pasta/noodles. This type of wheat is the best choice for pasta (semolina - is made from the endosperm of durum wheat) because it's protein group is higher in gliadins rather than glutenins (there are more glutenins in regular hard wheat to make that nice lofty loaf of bread).

Using a sourdough-type recipe, which includes a lengthy fermentation (2-3 days), the wholegrain dough is nearly as light as dough using white flour. I dehydrate the noodles and store them in FoodSaver vacuum-sealed canning jars. I also freeze fresh pasta.

Sourdough Egg Noodles
http://www.westonaprice.org/foodfeatures/sourdough_egg_noodles.html

-Grainlady

Here is a link that might be useful: Lehman's - Noodle Cutter
centralcacyclist
15 years ago
I use a manual pasta machine like the one in the link. I also use the recipe that is in the little booklet. It has a couple of width settings for cutting the pasta.

I am amazed at Ann's ability to cut straight lines!

Here is a link that might be useful: Atlas pasta machine.
Lars
15 years ago
An easier way to cut the pasta is to roll it into a cigar shape as in this illustration and cut into thin strips, the same way you make a chiffonade of basil. You have to make sure that there is enough flour on the pasta to keep it from sticking, however.

You can order specialty flours on line if you don't have access to them. I use 1/2 cup of semolina flour, 1 cup of regular flour, 2 eggs, and 1/4 tsp salt (or 3/4 flour for each egg). Semolina gives the pasta more tooth. Since I use a pasta machine for rolling, I don't add olive oil to the pasta. A lot of times I add spinach and adjust the amount of egg.

Lars
User
15 years ago
Eileen, it is easier than it looks. I just cut freehand, no ruler or measuring. But, Grainlady's pasta cutter would certainly be easier still. I just might have to get myself one of those.

Ann
ntt_hou
15 years ago
If you're having trouble cutting straight, try the technique below =)

Here is a link that might be useful: The art of making noodles
cotehele
Original Author
15 years ago
Wow, so many things to try! ntt-I'll not be trying making noodles literally by hand. That was just amazing.

grainlady-DH hates sourdough, so I don't make it. It sounds good to me, though. That is a very interesting web-company. I could get lost there for awhile. I must get out in the garden, however.

Lars, thanks for the recipe-I'll try it soon.
ntt_hou
15 years ago
But... but... but.... it's fun making it this way! Besides, that's how spaghetti was made and brought over to Europe from China!

Ok... yeah, I know. I just post it for fun. It is still being made that way though. I have yet to try it out with this method. I'm wondering what kind of flour it is used since it has to be elastic enough to be pulled without breaking. Back online for more research =)
cotehele
Original Author
15 years ago
I don't know about the flour. There were some other U-Tube videos using a similar technique. One comment was 1c water to 2c flour, but I'd want an experienced opinion before I showered the ceiling with glue! It's the dexterity that would kill my technique :p
annie1992
15 years ago
I usually like the whole wheat pasta, I don't like the plain white stuff at all, LOL, but I just made some basil pasta in the food processor, which I sauced simply with butter and parmesan, it was very good. I kneaded it with the KitchenAid mixer to save the pain in my wrists. I rolled and cut it by hand, using Lars' technique, which is how Grandma did it. I let it dry on the counter for about half an hour, then cooked it and sauced it. It looked like this, not perfect uniform but it still tasted good
{{gwi:1501081}}

Here's the recipe, it sounds like a lot of fresh basil but it isn't.

BASIL NOODLES
(Taste of Home)

1 1/4 cups fresh basil leaves
3 cups all purpose flour
3 eggs
Â¼ cup water
2 tsp olive oil

Place basil in food processor, process until finely chopped. Add flour, process until blended. Add eggs, water and oil, process until dough forms a ball, 15-20 seconds. Turn onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, 8-10 minutes. Cover and let rest 30 minutes, divide into fourths.

On floured surface, roll each portion to 1/16th inch thickness. Roll up jelly roll style and cut into 1/4 inch slices. Separate and unroll the slices, let stand on a dry towel for an hour or hang to dry. Cook noodles in boiling salted water 4-5 minutes or until tender, then drain. Sauce as desired.

8 servings

Annie
vacuumfreak
15 years ago
I just tried my hand at making homemade pasta yesterday. It was a lot of fun... I forgot that I could use the food processor though. I did the entire thing by hand. I just used flour, eggs, and salt. I rolled it out with the rolling pin... I rolled it around the rolling pin, slid the rolling pin out and cut it with a knife. A pizza cutter would have been a great help... but I don't have a rotary one, mine is a D shaped rocker device that I don't think would worked well for noodles. Maybe next time I'll use my Ofla rotary cutter and mat (made for material/fabric). LOL

I made a bechamel sauce to go with it, and didn't even need to add any meat (though chicken or shrimp would have been a great addition... I was too tired to add another step to the process).

I do have some questions though.

Why do they say to make a well in the flour to add the eggs? I can't understand the reason. It's all going to get mixed up anyway!

Also, is it OK to boil it immediately, or must I let it dry first?

Grainlady, I love that cutter! It looks great, and after making pasta completely by hand, I can see how nice a tool that would be to have.

Ntt_hou... what a great video... I was amazed! I wondered if there was a way to make spaghetti without buying a space consuming machine... don't think I'll be trying that any time soon!
colleenoz
15 years ago
Bobby, you need the well because you're working directly on the countertop, no bowl; so if you didn't have a well in the flour the eggs would leak all over the place. Having the well also allows you to mix in the flour a bit at a time.
The technique demonstrated in the video is for Chinese noodles. Not sure if the proportions of ingredients in pasta noodles would work the same.
I remember reading in a cookbook written by Artur Rubinstein's wife that when they were travelling early in her husband's career they had to watch their pennies as he wasn't famous and highly paid at that point :-) One of her staple meals was noodles hand made and rolled out on the hard side of her suitcase!
cotehele
Original Author
15 years ago
Colleen, the explanation of why use a well makes sense. Arthur Rubinstein's wife surely had the technique mastered! The eggs leak when I try. I bought an inexpensive roasting pan to use for making pasta and biscuits. It has lots of room to work, and edges to catch the mess, LOL.
vacuumfreak
15 years ago
Thanks Colleen. When I did it, the egg leaked out of the well and ran down the sides of my portable dishwasher onto the floor. I thought, "What a mess... it's all going to get mixed up anyway. Why don't I just use a bowl?" I just watched a Three's Company episode where Jack was showing someone how to make pasta and he said to make a well as well. I guess I won't have the same problem again since I'll mix/knead in the FP next time. The leftovers are good... I added some chicken today. Hope it freezes as well as it reheats.
minsue67
15 years ago
vacuumfreak, MIL told me I HAD to make pasta with making it the "well in the flour way" and I said "screw it". I make mine with my KA mixer by dumping in the eggs and salt, turning it on and adding the flour until a nice dough ball forms. I then roll out by hand and cut them the same way ann t does. And yes, the leftover soup will freeze well. I also will freeze the leftover uncooked noodles to use at a future date.
colleenoz
15 years ago
You need to make a nice deep well with thick sides. Didn't you ever make mashed potato volcanos when you were a kid? I thought everyone did ;-)
annie1992
15 years ago
Well, I'm branching out. The last pasta I made was this butternut squash filled ravioli, but the pasta was that plain white pasta. I'm not so thrilled with white pasta, I like whole wheat better, but I'm wondering how the basil pasta would be with the butternut squash filling. Would the basil overpower the squash?

Hmmmm.....I feel an experiment coming on but I have to tell you, rolling, forming and cutting those blasted ravioli were a real PIA.

{{gwi:1547963}}

Annie
cotehele
Original Author
15 years ago
Annie, that looks so good! I've gotta try that. What is in the filling besides butternut squash? Is there a sauce or glaze on the ravioli? I'm stuck with white-flour pasta. DH hates whole wheat.
Judy
annie1992
15 years ago
cotehele, the filling is squash, onion, salt and pepper and a bit of sage, cooked in a skillet with a bit of chicken broth, then mashed.

I just sauteed the ravioli in some browned butter with a bit of fresh sage, no sauce at all. It was pretty darned good that way too!

Oh, and I froze half the batch and made it later, it was just as good as the fresh stuff.

I will admit that I ate the remaining stuffing, I liked it better than the pasta. (grin)

I'll find the recipe and post it, but it will probably be tomorrow.

Annie
pat_t
15 years ago
Here's the recipe we use at school:

HOMEMADE PASTA

1 kg flour
2 Tblsp. olive oil
2 whole eggs
600g egg yolks (about 30)

Mix until just coming together (in a mixer or food processor). Wrap well and rest in refrigerator at least 30 minutes (or as long as overnight). Roll out and flour really well. Store in freezer.
cotehele
Original Author
15 years ago
Annie,

The butternut squash filling sounded so good I made ravioli for supper! All I had was an Acorn squash, so I filled the ravioli with mushrooms and we ate the squash with butter.

I'm glad to for another use for the tons of sage I have. I planted it several years ago as a decorative plant, and it grows like a weed. I've dried sage until it is going to take over the house!

Pat, that's a lot of pasta! The students must eat well.

Judy
shaun
15 years ago
600 egg yolks???????

One day I'm going to try this homemade pasta thing. The other night I made penne pasta from the box and as I was draining it, the lid fell off my pot and what didn't go down the drain fell into soapy water....oye

homemade pasta

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