"Make pasta from scratch!" you shriek - why bother when cheap, dried pasta is sold everywhere? Well, like many things in life, sometimes it's best to go back to basics. Get your hands dirty (well, floury anyway) and create a food that's simple yet nourishing, basic but loved by all. The taste of fresh pasta is so much better too.
All it takes is flour and eggs and your time to make delicious fresh pasta in your kitchen. If you've never tried it before, then give it a go. If you've got kids, they'll be only too happy to help measure the flour, break some eggs and get kneading. It's good fun working a pasta machine too.
Many cookbooks suggest using ‘00' flour (doppio zero). This is flour which has been highly milled and recommended for pasta and pastry cooking. But it isn't essential as you'll still get good results from plain flour. Don't use flour that might have been sitting in your pantry for years. Go on, lash out, spend $2 on a fresh bag of flour, organic if you want. You'll find ‘00' flour at good delicatessens.
Eggs are the other essential ingredient. Again, fresh and organic is best. The more yellow the eggs, the more wonderfully rich looking your pasta will be. As a general rule, for each 100 grams of flour, use one egg. 500 grams of flour and 5 eggs will make enough fresh pasta to feed four or more people. Amazing!
Make the dough as in the recipe, mix it with your hands and knead it on a floured surface. Work it well (getting out your frustrations on the dough) until it is glossy and smooth. Then give it a break - put it in plastic wrap and leave in the fridge for 30 minutes.
I've only ever used a simple pasta machine that is hand-cranked. It does a fine job to roll the dough progressively thinner and then cut it into fettucine or spaghetti. Or, do as Italian nonna's have done for centuries and just use a rolling pin to create thin sheets of flat pasta for ravioli or lasagne.
With fresh pasta, cooking time is much less. A few minutes after dropping your home made product into the pot of boiling water you'll have dinner on the table. And because the pasta is so fresh you'll find it only needs the simplest additions of olive oil, some fresh herbs and parmesan cheese to taste brilliant. Of course, you can create more complicated pasta sauces but it's hard to beat the simple flavours.
Making pasta is a fun activity that kids love to help with. Yes, flour will end up on the floor, kitchen bench and hands but it's easily cleaned up. And even fussy eaters love the soft texture of fresh pasta.
If you're still nervous, go to a cooking school to learn more or seek inspiration from Brisbane's Italian food scene.
For a simple cooking activity, making pasta doesn't just make a good dinner. For me, it's good for the soul as it brings food back to the basics. You can't get more real than flour, eggs and a damn good knead.
What food do you enjoy making from scratch? Add your comments below.
Well, I love making bread. Not exactly from scratch but in my bread maker...the smell is divine. A loaf never lasts long in my house.