How To Make Pasta

So This is How to Make Pasta

My guide on how to make pasta will show you the step by step process along with pictures and (Yummy!) the finished product.

Making a fresh pasta recipe is something to be respected. It's food worth waiting for and spending time with. It's a time old tradition dating back to the first pasta manufacturing back in the 1600's.

I remember the first time I tried to make a fresh pasta recipe. There was flour EVERYWHERE and because I don't do anything the easy way, (anyone who knows me can tell you that) I decided to make both Tomato Pasta recipe and Spinach pasta. in the same day.

BTW: Did I tell you I didn't have a pasta maker machine at the time? YA!

Not to mention the recipe I used was off. By the time I added in the extra flour to make the consistence right I ended up with enough home made pasta to feed the Roman Army. One of the reasons I test and make every recipe I post here.

So there I am with this enormous ball of basic pasta dough so I decided to make homemade fettucini, ravioli and tortellini then I invited a bunch of people over and we ate and laughed and drank great wine. There's always a happy ending when Italian Pasta recipes are involved.

I never thought of myself to be any good at baking and although technically making homemade pasta isn't baking it does involve flour, eggs and water. So in my mind how to make pasta fresh was baking. Therefore I just assumed I wouldn't be any good at it.

However using a good recipe you will, for the most part, find how to make pasta very easy. Messy! But easy. I've put together a couple of recipes here for your basic pasta dough. One for a blended Semolina and all purpose flour pasta and one made with only all purpose flour.

Semolina Pasta recipe:

The following are the ingredients you'll be kneading. (HA HA!) I made a Pasta Funny.

Because Semolina flour is more course and makes the dough a little tough and leathery I put together a blend of both flours to make it manageable and delicious.

1 cups All purpose flour
cup Semolina flour
1 tsp Salt
2 Eggs
1 tsp Olive Oil

I sift out the flour before measuring.

Place flour in a pile in the center of a large cutting board or counter top.

Make a well in the center of the flour.

Crack the eggs into a bowl and beat with the Olive Oil and Salt. (see my flavored pasta to add to this step)

Now pour that mixture into the middle of the well.

Take a fork and mix together slowly.

When it becomes pasty you can dig in with your hands.

Keep extra flour handy or even a little bit of water if it's too stiff.

Keep mixing and kneading until the dough becomes much like a leathery ball but doesn't stick to your fingers. I would say for about 8-10 minutes.

That's perfect.

How to make Pasta with All Purpose Flour:

This basic pasta dough is easier to handle. However, I've noticed when it comes to cutting the pasta with a pasta maker it tears a lot easier. Try setting your pasta machine to make it a little thicker then you would Semolina Pasta.

1 cups All purpose flour
1 tsp Salt
2 Eggs
1 tsp Olive Oil

Same instructions as above. The up side to using this flour is that the kneading process is a little easier. You do have to let this pasta dough sit as well.

Storing your Pasta:

You can put it in the refrigerator for up to 2 days in a plastic bag if you want. Some say you can freeze it. I'm totally against that. I mean what's the purpose of making fresh food if you don't eat it fresh?

How to make pasta shapes with a Pasta Maker Machine:

If you don't have one of these, well all I can tell you is: "If you're going to spend anytime using my guide on how to make pasta I strongly suggest getting one." They aren't expensive at all.

Start with a basic one and if you love the idea of making homemade pasta then invest in the Rolls Royce Kitchen aid pasta maker.

Roll out the dough to a inch thick blob. (It's the only word I could think of.)

Cut the dough into 3x1 inch squares. It doesn't have to be an exact science.

Set the pasta maker to the highest setting and run the dough through 2 times. Keep doing that as you lower each setting.

I typically don't go lower then a #2 setting for Semolina pasta.
I Use a #3 for the All purpose flour pasta dough recipe because it's more delicate.

Your final run will be cutting it with the pasta maker machine or laying out the dough to make your Ravioli, Tortellini or other stuffed pasta.

Now I can say, "Making homemade pasta is easy." I tried them all and found myself wanting to come back for more.

Garlic flavored Pasta with both fresh garlic and then Roasted Garlic flavored pasta.

I've made a Basil pasta and even Lemon flavored pasta which I served with Shrimp Scampi on top. I still think about that meal.

One of my all time favorite ravioli recipes is my famous (in my own mind) porcini mushroom pasta recipe. You can fill it with Ricotta cheese or a blend of Chicken and mushrooms. Holy macaroni doesn't that sound good? Or you can made a spaghetti out of it and saute it with a simple Alio Olio sauce so you can really taste the flavor of the porcini mushrooms.

You can see all the step by step pictures of how to make pasta with each flavor here on this site.

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