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"Let's be cheerful"! We have no more right to steal the brightness out of the day for our own family than we have to steal the purse of a stranger. Let us be as careful that our homes are furnished with pleasant & happy thoughts as we are that the rugs are the right color and texture & the furniture comfortable and beautiful"! Laura Ingalls Wilder

Sunday, March 27, 2011

pasta from scratch




Awhile back I said I would come back and tell you how to make your own pasta.  I said that it is easy to do and you don't need a machine, which is true.  But, I ask you - if you had a machine wouldn't you want to use it?

So it is with me.  I needed pasta and although I knew that the next time I made it I was going to take pictures to share, I wanted to play with my machine.

There. You get a little peek at my character (or lack thereof).  I wanted to play more than I wanted to do what needed to be done.  Sorry.

I measured my flour by weight.  I give you the recipe using cups.




Pasta from scratch:

2 cups flour (I used my typical 1/2 white, 1/2 whole wheat)
3 eggs
1 tsp salt (optional)
approx. 2 tsp oil





Make a well in your flour/salt and add eggs.  Using your fingers begin working the egg into the flour.  Add oil as needed to make a stiff dough.  Turn onto a floured surface and knead for about 8 minutes.  (I set a timer just because when it comes to kneading, 8 minutes is longer than you would guess).  Resting your hands for a moment is o.k.!  Let the dough rest for a few minutes when finished. 

The process is the same by hand as it is with the machine.  The only difference is that you roll with a rolling pin and cut with a pasta cutting tool if you have one, or a knife if you don't.  For years it was just me, the rolling pin, and the knife.  We did splendidly.


twice
six or seven times
Next, re-flour your surface and roll dough thin.  Let it rest a moment.  Fold dough in half and roll thin.  Let rest.  Do this 6 or 7 times.  Your final roll should make your pasta about 1/8" thick.  If it's thicker you have wonderful rustic noodles.  If it's thin you have elegant noodles.  I'm a rustic kind of gal which makes life so much simpler.


elegant!

Hang pasta sheet over a dowel (I use the cleaned back of a chair).  Allow to dry for awhile.  I have often skipped this step and had great results.  You just have to be more careful about how you cut it~  

~If your pasta is relatively dry you will now roll it loosely, and cut into thin strips.
~If it is not dry I just use a sharp pizza cutter and leave the sheet flat, cutting into long strips.


rustic!

That's it!  I just leave my pasta in little piles until I'm ready to cook it.  You could go ahead and hang it back up to dry more until you're ready for it.  Or, (if you need them now) just go ahead and cook without drying. To cook, just add to boiling, salted water and cook for about 4 minutes. 

   


* I know this sounds time consuming but it really is simple.  I am convinced that the reason we think simple things are difficult is our attitude.  Begin this thinking that there is nothing to it and you will be surprised that it is true.  Also, you have all of this wonderful down time as you let the dough rest and dry.  Use these snippets of time to put things away and rinse your dishes.  Fill the sink with hot soapy water.  I am a soapbox preacher when it comes to the sermon; Clean As You Go!



Blessings,  Debbie

11 comments:

  1. Pasta is something I have never made for scratch. I think it's about time I look
    for a pasta maker since you make it look
    so easy. Have a great Monday.
    Warmly,
    Tracey

    ReplyDelete
  2. I have always wanted to make my own pasta...even bought a machine at a garage sale one time...so thanks for the inspiration.
    I have to say the word "the reason we think simple things are difficult is our attitude"..those words are going up on my refrigerator...that is what I needed to hear this morning.

    Thanks for sharing on the hope chest...oh it sounds wonderful...I was so inspired for my daughter's hope chest...what a treasure you were able to give.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I have enjoyed making my own pasta and it is not that hard either, I am just lazy I think. I need to do it again. You inspire me. I just wanted to thank you for allowing Monday to give me some encouraging words. I will snap out of it now and I will look really hard for that silver lining and will get back to you. :)
    Have a wonderful day! Really, I have laughed so much now it is so much better.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I love homemade pasta...I've never made my own, but I've enjoyed other's before. Your attitude makes me want to try it. Have a great week!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I've never had home made pasta...I bet it's really good. Thank you so much for reading my blog and offering such good encouragement and prayer...today was a particularly difficult day...found out that she took a cell phone out of my husbands drawer and has been using it since the beginning of March...over $40 in long distance charges so far (the bill came in today, that's how I found out) ...at first she denied even taking it....now she's angry and carrying on cause I took it....like I said...very hard.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I've never made pasta before, but you make it look do-able; perhaps I'll give it a try. I *love* your spacious white kitchen. Mine is quite, um, cozy ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  7. I actually have a pasta maker that I have used about twice. I asked for it for Christmas because I just knew that I would make my own.

    I think I'm going to put making pasta on my list of things to do now that I'm finished teaching.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I actually have a pasta maker that I have used about twice. I asked for it for Christmas because I just knew that I would make my own.

    I think I'm going to put making pasta on my list of things to do now that I'm finished teaching.

    ReplyDelete
  9. OOh, lovely!!! I have never tried to make my own pasta.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I see that Janette already commented on this quote, but it jumped out at me, too! ("I am convinced that the reason we think simple things are difficult is our attitude.")

    I've enjoyed learning to "know" you by reading through some of your more recent posts. Sure wish we lived closer to each other. As it is, I may just have to try pasta making myself. Your directions are so inspiring and easy to follow that I think I can DO it!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Hi, Bonjour
    Thank you for your comment on my blog. Your blog look very good and the pictures are so great!
    Sometimes things are funny: I was looking for pictures with lovely chicken for making a paint and you have very beautiful pictures :)

    ReplyDelete

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