Home made pasta is superb and surprisingly easy to make. It is time consuming but worth it!
Serves 4 – 5
500 grams fine pasta flour (also known as “tipo 00”)
5 large eggs (free range are best)
Place flour in a bowl and make a well in the middle, crack your eggs into the hole.
Start to whisk eggs into flour using a fork until it comes together as a firm dough. If your mix is too dry you can add another egg, but don’t let the dough become too sticky or wet.
Knead the dough until smooth and firm. Place a damp tea towel over the dough.
Cut a small piece off the dough and re-cover the rest.
Following your pasta machine instructions, roll the small piece of dough through on the largest setting (1).
Fold flattened dough over as shown and roll through the number 1 setting again. Repeat a few times. I dust lightly with flour so that it rolls through smoothly. Change the setting to 2 and roll through once. Keep changing the setting until you are on the flattest setting and your dough is long, thin and flat.
If your dough is really long, cut in half to make it more manageable. Dust both sides lightly with flour.
Now carefully feed your flattened dough through either the spaghetti or fettucini setting (I’m doing fettucini here). Lay the strips on your hand as they roll out rather than letting them sit on the bench.
Hang your pasta up to dry. I’m yet to discover the best way to do this, but I use a clothing rack which gives me plenty of hanging space.
When dry (usually a couple of hours, depending on the weather) collect all your pasta into a bowl or bag. Drop into a large pot of boiling, salted and oiled water and stir. Don’t leave the pot as it only takes a few minutes to cook. Keep testing until al dente, then drain.
Here’s the best part! I served my pasta with a home grown tomato and basil sauce, sprinkled with parmesan, sliced avocado and sprinkled over fresh parsley.
Delicious and healthy!
