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Sunday, February 22, 2015

  Homemade pasta

 I love pasta, most shapes, and of course we all have our favorites. Mine are angel hair, linguine , fettucini, ziti,  rigatoni, Ok, I love pasta.
 
Considering Fridays dinner choices, came up with homemade pasta, with clam sauce, white for the misses and red for me, a coupla fish cakes, salad and some wine , perfect!


Homemade pasta is easier then you might think, have a food processor it's a snap!

Semolina flour, available at most health stores that carry bulk grains and flours will have it.

 It is also available in 2 lb bags at some markets, but will be very expensive, bulk is the way to go.


 What you will need to make about one pound of fresh pasta:
 
2 cups semolina flour*, 2 large eggs, 3-8 Tbs water. Optional, dried herbs to add flavor to your pasta, spices etc.


Add semolina flour and eggs to the processor bowl, run for 5 seconds till it looks like cornmeal.
With motor running add 1/4 cup water, process till it forms a ball.

If by hand use a stand mixer, with flat beater, then switch to dough hook.
 
Dough should be well blended but not sticky, if it is, cut into 3 pieces and put back in processor with a Tbs. of APF (all purpose flour)

 If it's crumbly ,add 1Tbs. of water at a time till it comes together.

Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead a couple of times till smooth.

Wrap in plastic wrap , let rest 30 minutes while you clean up. 


 Take 1/4th of dough, keeping rest covered,  and proceed as follows:

By Hand roll dough to desired thickness, flouring as needed to keep from sticking.

If by hand, fold floured sheet of dough 3-5 times depending on length of sheet , like a letter, and cut desired widths. Gather, flouring if needed to keep from sticking, into a pile ,place on floured tray cover with plastic to keep moist, while you cut rest of pasta.


 If by pasta roller, start with  1/4 dough, flatten, run through lowest setting on roller twice, folding dough each time to widen to width of roller, repeat if needed. 

Run through next setting , increasing setting to next thinnest each time till desired thickness.

 

Cut pasta by hand or if you have an attachment cut with that.



 Fresh pasta needs only 3 -4 minutes to cook!  

 
Freeze  what is not needed for another time, place into a container that will accommodate the pasta without pressing it into a mass, keep loose.

You may use a floured storage bag .placed inside another container so pasta doesn't get broken from being moved around in freezer.



 *Pasta can be made with all purpose flour also, it will not have that springy texture or flavor as semolina pasta does but will be delicious none the less.



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