How To Make Pasta From Scratch

Directions

• Sift the flour into a bowl and make a well in the centre.
• Add the eggs and stir with a butter knife to form a dough (about 3 tablespoons of cold water – but judge as you go!).
• Turn the dough out onto a floured board and knead thoroughly for about 10 – 15 minutes or until the dough is nice and smooth and pliable.
• Dust with a little flour and wrap in plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least thirty minutes.
• Remove the ball of dough from the fridge and unwrap.
• Give it a quick knead again (just a few minutes) then roll out very finely and cut into the desired shape or run through a pasta machine if you have one.
• This type of pasta is good for:
• Fettuccine:
• Roll out the pasta into a long rectangle shape.
• Starting from the short end, roll up the dough then cut up very finely into strips.
• Unravel each strip and spread on a floured tray (or semolina works well too).
• To cook – Drop into a large pot of salted boiling water for about 5 minutes or until the pasta is tender.
• Drain and serve with the sauce of your choice.  Options include Tomato, Pesto or Carbonara.
• Lasagne:
• Roll pasta dough out as thinly as you can.
• Cut into sheets approximately 8cm by 10cm.
• Fresh pasta does not take as long to cook as the dried shop bought variety.
• Ravioli:
• Divide the dough into two.
• Roll each half out into a very long, very thin strip.
• Place teaspoons of your desired filling every 5cm along one of the strips.
• Brush around the filling with a little warm water and then press the other pasta sheet on top, careful to secure the filling well.
• Using a sharp knife or pastry wheel, cut away the excess pasta dough.
• Fill a large pot with hot salty water and cook carefully for approximately 15 minutes.
• Drain well and serve piping hot with your desired sauce.