Homemade Pasta
By Joanna Barajas
Don’t settle for ordinary; make this New Year’s eve extraordinary.
And that means homemade pasta.
It’s something that might seem intimidating, but it only requires a few ingredients. And it’s so worth the effort! It’s also a fun new way to make new memories with the family. You don’t need a pasta machine to make it. A rolling pin and some muscle will do the trick. And you can hand-cut the dough into long strips for tagliatelle or pappardelle.
Here’s the fool proof recipe that I share with my students.
Wishing you a Happy New Year!
Homemade Pasta
Ingredients:
Serves 2
(scales up easily)
- 100 grams (⅔ cup) all purpose flour
- 100 grams (½ cup) fine semolina flour
- 2 eggs
- Small pinch of salt
Directions:
- Combine flours and ¼ teaspoon salt into a large bowl. Mix to evenly distribute everything. Then, make a little well in the middle and add the eggs. Stir with a spoon or with your hands. Mix to form a ball. (A good 5-7 minutes) Add 1 tablespoon of water if it’s a little dry. When it’s pretty smooth, cover the ball in plastic wrap and let rest for at least 30 minutes on the counter.
- After 30 minutes, unwrap the dough and knead for 5-10 minutes or until very smooth and no dry spots are present.
- Cut in half and flatten the dough as best you can. Use a rolling pin if you don’t have a machine. Get it thin enough until you can see your fingers’ shadow through the dough.
- Then, sprinkle it with semolina flour and cut it with a sharp knife into thick strands. Lay the strands out to dry for an hour, or cook immediately. Spread them out so they don’t stick to each other. Do the same with the other piece of dough you set aside. You can also do this process using a pasta machine. Go to the 5 or 6 setting on the machine.
- Cook the pasta in salted water for 1-3 minutes. Taste a strand to see if it is cooked. There should be a bite, but not taste like raw flour, nor be mushy.
- Drain and serve with your sauce immediately. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese if desired.
If not using pasta right away, flour well and make nests. Let dry for 30 minutes, then store in the fridge or freezer, covered well in a ziploc bag. Uncooked pasta keeps 2 days in the fridge, 2 weeks in the freezer.
I hope you try this new recipe! Snap a picture and tag me @chefjoannas on instagram so I see how yours came out.
Chef Joanna is a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu in Paris and is a private chef for the stars. She also hosts pop up dinners and cooking classes inspired by her travels around the world. You can find more of her work at www.chefjoannas.com
For More Recipes Visit www.zapinin.com/food.