Cooking 101 Basics Week #14 – Homemade Pasta

On a clean surface, measure dry ingredients into a large mound and then make a well. Pour the egg and some of the water into the well and start to incorporate some of the flour into the liquid, being careful not to break “the well wall”. (This is going to get messy...just go with it.) Gradually add more water as needed to moisten all the flour. This dough should not be sticky or soft and it will feel like you don’t have enough water.

Use your hands to knead the dough and it start to stick together, but it will still feel dry compared to other doughs. Let the dough rest by wrapping in plastic wrap and sitting it on the counter for about 20-30 minutes.

Divide the dough in eight sections. Roll out one section at a time (into a square or recangle shape) with a rolling pin. It should thin enough to feed into the pasta machine on its largest setting. There will be lots of cracks and uneven edges. Feed dough through machine on largest setting (see note below). Take the first rollout and fold over in thirds. Turn 90 degrees and feed into the roller again. Do this several times, adjust the thickness level one level thinner and repeat until you reach the desired thickness.

Toss noodles with a little extra flour and place in small batches on a baking sheet to dry.

To cook the noodles immediately, bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt the water, and cook the pasta 4-5 minutes To dry: lay the pasta over a clothes drying rack, coat hangers, or a broom handle proped up on two chairs and let air dry until completely brittle. Store in an airtight container for several weeks. To freeze: freeze flat in the basket-shape on a baking sheet until completely frozen. Once frozen, gather baskets and place in an airtight container and freeze for up to three months. Dried and frozen noodles may need an extra couple minutes to cook.

If you make start to roll out your through the machine and it just crumbles and falls apart then put it back into the pile of dough and add water by the teaspoon full. Work it in and try again. If you make it enough you will get a feel for what it should feel like when you knead it.