Hello all!
Today’s post will be on one of the most simple yet favorite food dishes of all, pasta! Reigning from Italy and consisting of just flour and water, pasta has become an American favorite for tons of people, including myself. Pasta is one of my comfort foods, to eat and to cook. Making pasta from scratch is a labor of love, yet doing so is such a rewarding process and the final product is incomparable to box spaghetti. We’re going to cover a very basic pasta dough that you can shape and cook into anything you desire, or simply freeze and store for six to eight months!
Ingredients
- 1 Cup All Purpose Flour (or ’00’ Semolina Flour if you have it!)
- 2 Large Eggs
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- Salt to Taste
Yup, that’s it!
Note: Semolina flour isn’t necessary, but is finer than all-purpose and therefore yields a silkier and more manageable dough. Also, the salt and olive oil are optional and based on taste, however, olive oil can help in the kneading process. For an easy gluten-free option, you can simply replace the all-purpose flour with almond flour at a 1:1 ratio. Different flours have different structures, so if you are using some other alternatives make sure you may need to add extra egg or flour to get the consistency right.
Instructions
- In a large bowl or on a cutting board, create a well with flour by poking a hole inthe center where your eggs will go.
- Add eggs, oil, and salt to the center and begin to slowly pull the flour into the center well from all sides using a fork.
- Working slowly, being to stir with the fork until a shaggy dough forms, then go in with your hands!
- Knead the dough thoroughly ( ≈ 10 minutes ) until everything is combines and you have a springy and smooth dough.
- Place the dough in a bowl ( if not already ) and cover with plastic wrap to let rest, then, put the covered bowl in the refridgerator for 30 minutes to let the gluten relax and soften.
Note: Be sure to flour surfaces that the dough will be touching ( cutting board, bowl, etc. ) generously to make sure it doesn’t stick to anything!
Now that you have a cohesive dough ball, you can chop it or form it into whatever pasta shapes you desire! Specific techniques for shaping dough and pasta shapes will be released in my next blog post. However, if you have a machine, you can simply roll out the dough and run it through to create sheets, noodles, and more!
Thanks for Reading!
If you by any chance make spaghetti or fettuccini ( or any noodle variety ), you can follow one of my all-time favorite pasta recipes below. It was posted by the food magazine Bon Appétit, and developed by talented food writer Molly Baz.
