No noodle tastes quite like that of pasta made in your own kitchen. Although the process can be long—allot at least 20 minutes just for mixing—the ingredients are simple, and chances are you produce some of them, like eggs, on your hobby farm.
In the video above, you’ll learn a basic recipe to make a pound of fresh egg pasta, which will yield about four servings. The ingredients you’ll need are (use a home scale for measuring):
- 460 grams semolina flour
- 12 grams salt
- 2 eggs
- 12 grams oil
- 86 grams water
Keep in mind that this recipe is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to pasta-making. There are a number of pasta variations you can create, from gluten-free pasta (by substituting rice, potato and tapioca flours for the more traditional semolina flour) and flavored pasta (using farm-fresh ingredients, like spinach and roasted peppers) to pastas of all shapes and sizes.
The great thing about pasta is that anyone can do it—no fancy equipment necessary. However, if you want to speed up the process, a couple of machines will help. You might consider purchasing an electric stand mixer and a pasta roller and cutter (either hand-crank or electric) if you foresee large quantities of pasta in your future. Electric stand mixers can cost anywhere from $200 to $400, but you can purchase attachments to mix, roll and cut your dough, as well as perform other baking- and cooking-preparation functions. Pasta rollers and cutters vary from the affordable hand-cranked machine, starting around $40, to electric machines, which start at around $400.
Once you’re ready to make your pasta, keep these tips in mind:
- Use semolina flour, not all-purpose flour. Semolina flour creates a stronger gluten structure, preventing the dough from crumbling.
- Before adding ingredients to the flour, dissolve salt in room-temperature water and mix oil, eggs and any flavoring ingredients together.
- Add ingredients slowly—take at least 5 minutes each to add the water-salt mixture and the oil-eggs mixture. Adding ingredients too fast will result in dough that’s sticky, not the more ideal granular consistency.
- If working in humid conditions, don’t be afraid to add more flour to achieve the desired consistency for the dough.
- Cook finished noodles to al dente, which literally means “to the tooth,” so that there is a firmness to the noodle when you bite it.
- To serve, toss pasta with a bit of olive oil and parmesan cheese or a light amount of sauce, and enjoy!
