Fresh Egg Pasta

Tips for Making Homemade Pasta

instagram @mangia.con.elena

The art of pasta making can be intimidating. I'm here to tell you that you can do it! There are a few general rules to follow and the rest is trial and error and continued practice. 

I will be taking you through steps to make pasta using a pasta machine (in case you have one collecting dust in your pantry or would like to buy one!). I use a pasta machine because I love the feel of kneading pasta dough by hand and doing it the traditional way. I can easily control the desired thickness of my pasta by feeding it through decreasing width cylinders. The way my mom did it and my Nonnas and all of my relatives.

Pasta making was a regular occurrence in my childhood house. My mom always had the flour out and was always making tagliatelle, fettuccine, quadratini, spaghetti, ravioli, canneloni and so much more. She learned to make pasta as a very young child. They never measured as everything was done ad occhio- by eye. More often than not there was not enough eggs so she learned very quickly how to make enough pasta to feed 12 people using just flour and water. She always amazed me at how  quickly she could throw everything together and how she let her hands be her guide. I aspire to get to the point where I don't need to measure out the ingredients to make fresh pasta!!!!

 It was my job to take the long sheets of rolled and cut pasta to the bedroom where it would rest on a floured tablecloth to dry out before storing or eating. I shared my room with pasta all the time. My mother would make large batches of pasta and would dry it out in those cute little nests and store it in open cardboard boxes nestled between tea towels and old sheets that she tore just for that purpose. When they would come visit us there was always a few boxes for us to enjoy and bags of quadratini. It lasts quite awhile as long as you store it in a cool and dry place. Alternatively, you can dry it out completely on tea towel lined cookie sheets and then freeze in bags. 

Give this a go! Here are some tips for being successful at making pasta!

  

Flour

Pick up a cookbook or watch a you tube video and you will see that there is much debate on which kind of flour to use and what works best. There are just so many types of flour out there! My mom always used basic all purpose unbleached flour. Through my readings and experimenting with different flours I have found that I like a combination of  Double 00 for pasta (mid range protein durum flour) and semolina (high protein durum flour). Of course, if you don't have these then all purpose flour works great too! 

• the ratio of 00 to semolina is about 80% to 20% or use all purpose flour
• ratio of flour to eggs is one egg for every 100 grams of flour
• 1 serving of pasta is a bit more than 100 grams of flour 
• therefore, if you are serving 4 people then you will use 500 grams of flour and 5 large eggs

Kneading dough

• Once done mixing your dough it is important to knead it for at least 10-15 minutes. This is to stretch the glutens which will result in a softer pasta
• you will know it is ready when you press it with your finger and the dough bounces back
• allow the dough to chill in fridge for at least half hour
• it is difficult to put into words how to properly knead dough. I would recommend finding a good you tube video that shows you the kneading technique (Pasta Grannies on You tube is great and so cute!)

Essential kitchen accessories

• kitchen scale (exact measurements are so important)
• pasta machine
• large tablecloth
• large wooden board

Helpful resources

I am not an expert on making pasta. I am far from it and I am learning as I go along. To me, it is a journey that I truly only just started embracing. My passion for home cooking has definitely taken off this last year and I hope to continue to expand my knowledge. There are chefs who dedicate their entire careers solely to perfecting their pasta making skills. I have been recommended some great cookbooks that have definitely helped me and I would like to share some of them with you that are specific to pasta making and understanding this amazing art. 

1. Mastering Pasta by Marc Vetri

2. Essentials of Italian Cooking by Marcella Hazan

3. The Ultimate Pasta Machine Cookbook by Lucy Vaserfirer

5. Pasta Grannies by Vicky Bennison

AND 

4. ★★★Cooking with Mamma Marzia by Marzia Bellotti Molatore. Marzia and I met on our instagram accounts and I am so grateful. She has been incredibly supportive and encouraging me to continue doing this. She recently published an excellent book of Authentic Italian recipes. I love a cookbook with lots of beautiful pictures and this one has it! I used her recipe to make my last batch of pasta and I will definitely be using it again! Please take a look at her website WWW.MAMMAMARZIA.CA and her instagram page @BELLACIBO.

Okay, let's start making pasta!!!! The measurements will be for a serving of 4. It is easy to adjust knowing the flour to egg ratio. My last batch I used 6 eggs and 600 grams and it easily fed 5 people with leftovers.

Ingredients

• 500 grams of flour (if using two different flours then stir them together in bowl to combine them)
• 5 large eggs

Directions

*Place the flour on a large wooden cutting board or directly on your counter (if using a wooden board, place a wet dishcloth under it to keep the board from sliding around) You can also use a bowl but I find it difficult to really work the dough this way

*Make a deep well in the middle of the flour (see above picture) and crack the eggs in the middle. 

*Gently and slowly beat the eggs with a fork until blended.         

*Using the fork ,slowly mix the flour into the middle. Work around the outside until the flour and eggs have been fully mixed. 

     * Once the flour and eggs have been combined use your hands to continue mixing.

     * Begin to knead the dough until it comes together and it is firm.

        The dough is ready when you press your  finger in and it bounces back. 

    * Form a ball and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill in fridge for half  an hour.

     * Have a large tablecloth ready over a large space such as your kitchen table. 

     *Prepare your pasta machine and flour your cutting board.

    *Section your pasta into 4-6 sections and use your hands to flatten dough into discs

*Flour a piece of dough lightly and pass it through the widest setting of your machine. Fold the dough into thirds (like  an envelope) and pass it through another 1 or 2 times. At any time, if the dough becomes sticky then give it another light dusting of flour.

*Repeat this procedure as you are working through the settings (number 2 all the way to 6). 

Stop when you get the desired thickness you want.

*place the sheet of pasta on your floured tablecloth and repeat the process with the rest of the dough. Give the sheets a light dusting

*once all pasta has been rolled it is time to pass your sheets through your chosen pasta shape. If the sheets are really long you may want to cut them to lengths that are suitable for your pasta type. 

*place the cut pasta on a floured wooden surface and dust liberally with flour. as you are shaking them in your hands. Shape into nests if making long strands. Don't worry if there is a great deal of flour as it will boil off in the water and you need to ensure that the pasta does not stick to each other.

The pasta can now rest until you are ready to cook it. Cover it with a slightly damp tea towel to keep it from drying out. Remember to use lots of water and salt your boiled water generously.  Stir the pasta constantly so it doesn't stick to bottom of pot. It takes only a few minutes to cook fresh pasta so taste test regularly. 

Enjoy your pasta!!!!!

Buon Appetito!

Fatto con amore,

Elena💜