Homemade Pasta...

...is hard to make, requires special flour and lots of $$$ tools - all MYTHS

You can make great pasta with all-purpose flour, a rolling pin, and your hands.

Why make your own pasta? It's softer, more delicate, with a fresher taste. 

Customize to your own taste, thicker noodles, special shapes, add herbs, colors, special fillings...

Egg pasta (northern Italy) is for shapes that need to be rolled thin and keep their shape. Plan on 100g flour (AP or 00) plus 1 egg per person. Add an extra yolk to make it a bit richer.

Egg pasta should be frozen rather than dried, for safety reasons.

If kept in the fridge, cook within two days.

*Use only the freshest eggs. Test your eggs in a bowl of water, if they sink, they're fresh.

If they remain in a vertical position, they are getting old but can still be used for other recipes. 

If they float, they've gone bad.

Drizzle cooked pasta with a bit of olive oil - 1-2tsp. per lb. Toss, spread on sheet pan to cool.

Store in ziplock in fridge for up to 5 days.

Semolina pasta (southern Italy) is for a thicker, more rustic shape. 100g flour to 50g water

Adding some AP will make it a bit more elastic.

**Fresh dough can be refrigerated for 24 hours before rolling out. 

Any longer and the dough will start to oxidize/discolor.

Dough can be mixed by hand, stand mixer, or food processor.

Stand mixer-use dough hook for 4-5 minutes to save on kneading time.

Food processor-mix til dough comes together, remove to work surface, rest 1 minute. 

If sticky, sprinkle w/flour. Knead 1-2 minutes.

By hand - knead 7-10 minutes.

Fresh pasta has a short shelf life, cook or freeze as soon as possible. 

Pasta can be cooked right from frozen.

Mix, wrap, rest 30 min., knead, roll, shape, dry 30 min. 

(use a fan to speed up the process), freeze/cook.

Dough should be at room temp. before rolling. Divide dough into manageable pieces to roll. 

Keep remaining dough wrapped when not in use to keep from drying out.

If using a cutter, allow rolled pasta to rest/dry for 15 minutes.

Make nests out of long noodles (sprinkle with flour), freeze, then put in ziploc.

Other shapes, freeze on parchment lined cookie sheet, then transfer to ziploc.

Make sure container is airtight. 

To see 29 pasta shapes made by hand Visit: 

https://www.bonappetit.com/video/watch/how-to-make-handmade-pasta-shapes-dough?epik=dj0yJnU9VFpmSkRud1VXWjdiY0ZDUGtwbWFOTk9LMVlIQi0zSW8mcD0wJm49eXlJY3Z6YTZtbHZqaUFyZXRicXpOZyZ0PUFBQUFBR2NOZnVj

To color pasta, use carrots, spinach, beets, pumpkin, cocoa powder. Add more flour/liquid as needed. Cook pasta in salted water, add sugar to dessert pasta. Covered in class-cavatelli, orecchiette, manicotti (lasagna see 12/19/20), tagliatelle, agnolotti, ravioli Sauces covered-Meat sauce, brown butter sage sauce, quick white sauce, vodka sauce Pasta - 1c. AP flour 1egg 1/2Tbsp. olive oil 1/2tsp. salt add water sparingly if needed (could use a spray bottle). Knead 7-10 minutes. Manicotti: In food processor-2c. AP flour, 2 eggs + 1 yolk, 1/2 tsp. salt 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil wrap and rest 30 minutes Using the food processor cuts down on the need to knead. I actually froze the sheets until I had time to fill/roll them. They defrosted quickly. Filling: Cottage cheese, (ricotta), shredded mozzarella, cream cheese, 1 egg Cavatelli: 1c. semolina 1/4c. water (see rolling video below) Meat sauce-I add 1lb. ground beef, 1 onion, and doubled the recipe on the Tone's Italian Spaghetti Seasoning from Sam's. I add an equal amount of sugar substitute. Cook in crock pot, instant pot, add more water depending on what you're using it for.

Pumpkin Agnolotti: 2c. AP flour pinch salt 2 eggs 1-2 yolks 2Tbsp. pumpkin 

1Tbsp. olive oil dough was sticky after resting, so I added flour when rolling

Brown Butter-Melt 8Tbsp. butter in large skillet, cook until foamy. Add in 2 cloves garlic and 1 Tbsp. fresh sage. Add in 1 tsp. brown sugar, s&p. Serve with fresh parsley and grated Parmesan. Can add some pasta water if desired.

Your pasta: 1c. AP flour 1egg 1/2Tbsp. olive oil 1/2tsp. salt 

add water sparingly if needed (could use a spray bottle).

Knead 7-10 minutes.

Pasta nests: 1c. AP flour, 1/4c. water, pinch salt - cover pasta w/oil and rest 90min.

See stretching video below. 

Quick Alfredo Sauce-Melt 3 Tbsp. butter, whisk in 1c. heavy cream (or 1/2&1/2) bring to simmer. Cook while whisking 5 minutes. Add 4cloves garlic, cook 1 more minute. Gradually add 1.5c freshly grated Parmesan, s&p to taste. If sauce is too thick, add some pasta water.

Can add lemon juice, cream cheese, nutmeg for a different flavor.

00 pasta: (bowties/penne) 300g. 00 flour (3eggs 1 yolk + oil to equal 185g.)

Vodka Sauce-I used Daniel Gritzer’s Penne alla Vodka on Serious Eats

Visit:

https://www.thekitchn.com/vodka-sauce-recipe-reviews-23214793?epik=dj0yJnU9UG5mbzJlSmpTVmdWMDRlZjhZcDJZU1V0VTlPRU5NQjcmcD0wJm49dVA5eUZYWUJuN0VmM0c4NjdjcnR5USZ0PUFBQUFBR2NTZHBZ

Chocolate ravioli: 2.5c. AP flour, 1/3c. cocoa, 2 eggs, 1/3-1/2c. water
Filling: 4oz. cream cheese, 3oz. ricotta, 1/3c. cottage cheese, 1 egg, 1.5c. powdered sugar, 1tsp. vanilla, 1Tbsp. cocoa
Make ravioli, freeze, add 2Tbst. sugar to water when cooking.
Serve with nuts, choc. chips, raspberry sauce. Could use fudge or caramel.