Basil Pasta Brilliant Color And Flavor
When I made this fresh pasta recipe my neighbors could smell the aroma of the basil and came rushing over. They said it was making them so hungry they had to see what I was making.
Something that happens a lot and I love it! I gives me an excuse to invite them over for dinner. I love to entertain and I love to see people enjoying good food and wine.
Making basil pasta was an idea I had when I was trying to think of a new and creative homemade pasta recipe. Some Italian pasta sauce recipes are simple like, Alio Olio which is a Garlic and Olive Oil sauce. Add a little parmigiano and you've got dinner.
Imagine that with a Basil Pasta? PERFECT!
So I began with my ingredients:
1 cups of all purpose flour
cup of semolina flour (You can increase the all purpose flour if you don't have semolina flour)
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
2oz fresh basil leaves
I like to put the basil in the food processor and chop it up like I would if I were making a pesto recipe. Then add the eggs and olive oil to the processor and pulse it slightly. You don't want it frothy, just blended.
Sift the flour, both of them together or just the all purpose, with the salt and place it in a pile in the middle of your cutting board.
Make a well or cup in the center of the pile and pour the basil mixture in the well.
Take a fork and slowly stir in the flour and the mixture together.
When it becomes paste-like start kneading. And kneading. And kneading. You should do this for about 10 minutes.
Dust with flour as needed if pasta dough is too moist and sticky.
Your dough, especially if you use the semolina, will be almost leather-like and you should be able to handle it without the dough sticking to your hands.
I remember the first time I made homemade pasta. It was a disaster. In fact you can read about it here in my spinach pasta recipe page. The ingredients were off and I ended up with enough pasta to feed the Roman Army.
That's one of the reasons I like to make all the recipes I post here first. The other is because I get to eat them! It also allows me to show how it's supposed to look or gives you serving ideas.
On my first attempt I didn't have a pasta making machine either. Yippeee to the day I bought mine! Not that I have anything against store bought pasta. There are some really great brands out there. But if you're making fresh pasta, a pasta machine is a MUST HAVE!
Especially as your passion for pasta grows!
You can roll it out into pieces to fit your pasta maker machine and start with the higher level roller. Mine starts with level 7. I usually run it through 2 times and then lower the level or making it thinner.
The more you roll it the better. It's like kneading but easier.
I don't usually go below a level 2 or the second to last level for say a fettucini pasta shape. Your pasta machine should have a fettucini cutting attachment. Whatever pasta shape you make you're love this flavored pasta enough to try my others. Like Porcini mushroom flavored pasta.