MAKING YOUR OWN PASTA
from the April 1986 "Drying Times "
by Barb Moody
Pasta making is an art that requires practice and patience. Here are some tips to get you started. If you want to learn more, there are many cookbooks that deal with this art.
Making the dough
Following the recipe below for "Basic Pasta Ingredients", place
flour on a pastry board or counter top (wood surfaces work best). Make a well in the center of
the flour. Break eggs into the well. Beat the eggs with a fork. Gently work some flour from the
side of the well into the egg mixture. Keep adding flour a little at a time, beating constantly. Continue until a soft dough has been formed it becomes difficult to mix the dough with a fork.
Kneading the dough
Sprinkle board and hands with flour and begin to knead the
dough. Add more flour as needed. Continue until dough is smooth, pliable, and quite elastic
(usually about 10 minutes). You should be able to stick your finger into the middle of the dough
and have it come out dry.
Divide the dough in 3 parts, forming each into a ball. Place each ball in a plastic bag to prevent
drying out. Let dough rest for 15 minutes.
Rolling the dough
Place 1 ball of dough on a lightly floured board. Flatten it slightly
by hand. Using a floured rolling pin, roll out dough. Start from the center and move towards the
edges. Stretch it with your hands as you roll it. Roll dough into a wide circle. To prevent
sticking, dust the surface with flour as needed and flip dough over often. Continue to roll and
stretch dough until it is about 1/16 to 1/8 of an inch thick. Sprinkle lightly with flour and let it
rest and dry for about 15 minutes on a lightly floured dry towel.
Cutting Options
(1) Score each sheet into desired noodle with and place sheets on dryer tray. Dry for about 2
hours then separate noodles along scored lines. Return noodles to the dryer and dry for 3 more
hours or until noodles break when bent.
(2) Roll sheet into a jelly roll and cut roll into desired width. Gently unwind noodles and hang
on pasta rack or lay them on trays. Dry 3-5 hours.
(3) If using a pasta machine, follow the steps above up to rolling the dough. Then, follow the
instructions provided with your machine.
Basic Pasta Ingredients
- 3 cups unbleached flour
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon salt (optional)
Note: Altitude, humidity, and the size of the eggs will influence the amount of flour needed. To
make an eggless pasta, substitute 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons water for the eggs.
Variations
Vegetable Pasta
Substitute 1/2 cup dried, powdered vegetables for 1/2 cup of the flour. Some good possibilities are
spinach, broccoli, beets, tomatoes, carrots, or zucchini.
Lemon Pasta
Substitute 3 tablespoons finely powdered, dried organic lemon for an equal amount of flour. This is a delightful pasta to serve with fish or vegetables.
