Thursday, March 11, 2010

Day Twenty-Three of Lent!

I did something today that I have never done before I made Home-Made Pasta!!!!!!!! My mom and dad got me a pasta machine for my birthday which is something I did not expect! It is so cool it has a roller so you can roll your pasta dough real thin and it also has a cutter attachment! I have pictures but, I haven't loaded them onto the computer yet. So I'll probably add the pictures to this post later tomorrow!

Pasta Machine!


I decided to go bowl-less and make the dough on the table! You make a well in the flour and add three eggs then working your way from the inside of the well add the flour to the eggs and by the time the eggs would've started to come out they are not runny anymore! but, it wasn't quite dough yet after I added the eggs so I made another well with the egg flour and added two tablespoons of cold water in it. Then after that I kneaded it in.

Then shape it into a ball.
Cover it with a damp (not wet) towel and let rest for 10- 15 minutes. (this is important!)
After 10-15 minutes cut of 1/4 inch of the dough ball and return it to the damp towel.
Then roll it out just a little it doesn't have to be perfectly rectangular... But, if you are not using a pasta machine then try to make it as thin and rectangular as you can with your rolling pin.
If you are using a pasta machine then set it to the widest setting for the first roll. Then you can get progressively thiner as you go along. If you are using a rolling pin you just have to roll it thin.
Once it is the thinness that you want then it is time to cut...
all you have to do to cut, if you have a pasta machine is use the cutting attachment of your choice and and put the pre rolled dough into it and crank... But, it is a whole different story if you don't. If you do not have a pasta machine then you will have to cover your rolled out dough in flour (allot of flour) and fold it loosely into thirds. (widthwise) Then you will cut it as thin or as thick as you want it. (widthwise again)
Then lay them out single file on a towel covered in flour to dry for two hours. (I made the mistake of laying them on top of each other so they stuck together... lay them out separately!)
I did not get a picture of it cooked or cooking but all you have to do to cook it is put water on the stove like you would to make normal pasta but, in the case of freshly made pasta it is imperative that you bring the water to a rolling boil before adding it. shake the flour of and boil for 3-4 minutes. (It is better to undercook home-made pasta then to overcook it.)




Leave a comment if you are confused about anything!

2 comments:

Bekah said...

I have that same pasta machine and love it! Way easier and better texture than rolling it out. Whole-wheat noddles have a great nutty taste. (Though I did skip the resting stage once and had a tantrum when it wouldn't go into the machine! It was a real lesson in letting the gluten rest so it's not like a rubber band, whether the dough is for pasta or breads.)

Have fun, and happy (late) birthday! (This is Bekah from the chapel, by the way. The one with the flowery leg. I could say "two sisters" or something, but hey, what's more memorable? Ha)

Caleb said...

Thanks for commenting! I love the pasta machine... I actually haven't tried making it without the machine but, I was going to. My mom was gonna borrow my neighbors pasta machine but, They weren't home. So she said I could get one!

Lá Fhéile Pádraig Sona Duit!
(Have a happy St. Patrick's Day!)