kitchen skills
Fresh Pasta No special equipment is required to make chewy, delicious noodles at home BY JASON ROSS
M
aking pasta by hand is such a pleasure. The feel of the dough, the child-like delight of squeezing and forming it, and the flavor and chewy deliciousness of fresh noodles make it easily worth the effort. You don’t need dedicated equipment. While a pasta machine can help make more uniform shapes, a rolling pin and knife are all that you need to make great pasta noodles by hand at home. The little imperfections, in the end, might be what make it perfect.
Pasta Dough MAKES 6 SERVINGS
This dough works for almost any type of pasta. It is tough enough to hold its shape but soft enough to roll with a pin. The semolina makes a noodle with a little tooth, and the all-purpose flour keeps it tender and supple. ½ pound all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting as needed ½ pound semolina flour pinch of salt 5 eggs, lightly whipped 1 tablespoon olive oil 1. With a whisk, combine the flours and salt in a large mixing bowl. 2. On a clean work surface, make a wide shallow mound of flour, about 6 inches in diameter, and then create a well in it so the walls of flour around it are about 1-inch high. Pour the eggs and olive oil into the well (photo 1). 3. Use a fork to pull flour from the sides of the well, and gradually incorporate the flour into the eggs using the fork (photo 2). Continue pulling flour into the eggs, working around the well and stirring the flour into the egg mixture with the fork, until dough begins to form and it becomes too thick to handle with a fork. Once that occurs, mix the remaining flour and dough with your hands until the flour is fully incorporated into the dough. 4. On a clean work surface, knead the dough by folding and pushing it with the heels of your hands, rotating and repeating. If the dough is sticky and hard to handle, add a little extra flour. Knead for 10 to 15 minutes until the dough is silky smooth. 5. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. This will allow the dough to relax and make it easier to roll out without springing back. 6. The dough is now ready to roll and cook. The dough can be wrapped in plastic film and refrigerated for up to 1 day, although it is best used on the same day. Longer time will result in greyish discoloration.
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INSETS NATASHA BREEN - FOTOLIA.COM
6 real food fall 2018
