Brave Noodle World

I posted many years ago a recipe to make fresh pasta and quite honestly, my feelings haven't changed that much from then. Fresh pasta is a bit of a novelty. But it is a fun one.

I have a new recipe that is a little larger quantity but I find it works well and it's easy to remember: 3 cups flour, 6 eggs, drizzle of oil. Plus a little extra flour during kneading.

This post will have mostly photographs taken by my lovely daughter who is really interested in doing things with me, include cooking. She has a good eye and none of the pictures taken were cropped or edited. Not bad eh?

I have decided to make fresh pasta once a week and practice making different types of shapes and fillings. Last week I made tagliatelle and this week a thinner spaghetti shape. Next weekend, I intend to continue this recent trend and bend the pasta into a penne lisce shape.

This recent trend is an attempt to feel more connected to my food and kind of get back to basics. I have recently taken a job where I am no longer a chef (I am now a Food & Beverage Manager of a golf course in the Ottawa region) and I don't intend to cook in a professional kitchen anymore. Home, however, is another story. Cooking remains a love of mine and making more homemade meals is, without a doubt, an absolute knead.

Fresh Egg Pasta

3 Cups or 725g AP Flour
6 Eggs
Drizzle of Olive Oil

Make a volcano with the flour

Fill volcano with lava yolks

 Whip the lava with a fork and slowly mix with the flour.

Once eggs are combined, start mixing with your hands and make a ball.

Knead for several minutes. The way I knead is lift dough from the top towards you.
Then use the palm of your hand and push into the dough away from you.
Turn dough 90 degrees and repeat until dough is firm and a little sticky.

Keep kneading!

Kneading gets harder and harder until it forms this type of shape.
Cover with plastic wrap and put in your fridge for an hour.

Using a rolling pin, flatten the dough before using the roller.

Time to pull out that pasta roller from your wedding.

Stage 1 of rolling. There is a dial on the side to adjust thickness.
Turn the dial one notch after every roll to make the pasta thinner and thinner.

With the spaghetti attachment. 

Easier when you have help.

Cook in boiling salted water for 5 - 6 minutes with a small amount of oil and stirring frequently.

Makes 10 - 12 portions.

A Humble Chef's tip: I'm freezing half of the batch in individual portions. The pasta cooks well right out the freezer.