Homemade Pasta Dough
Let’s talk homemade pasta. Now, I am sort of a pasta snob. Once you make homemade pasta, it is really hard to eat standard dried grocery store pasta. Not that I never do, but let’s be honest, homemade pasta takes time and I don’t always have time to make it. But if I am having people over for dinner and pasta is on the menu, it is 100% homemade. The best thing about homemade pasta is it is delicious pretty much plain. You can toss it with the simpleist ingredients and it is the best thing ever.
Homemade pasta looks more intimidating than it is. It does take a bit of time, especially your first handful of times making it, but it is fairly easy and tastes infinitely better. And here’s the thing, even if it the pasta does not look perfect your guests will be SO impressed that you made fresh pasta they will be singing your praises.
Bonus, this pasta freezes really well. You can freeze the ball of dough before you roll it out or you can freezer after the pasta is made but before you cook it. I like making double the dough and freezing half of it. That way I just have to defrost it and roll it out to use.
Recipe
Ingredients:
3 cups of Italian Double Zero Flour or All Purpose Flour
4 large eggs
1/2 cup semolina flour
To make:
Pour 3 cups of flour on a clean surface and create a well in the middle of the flour.
Crack 4 eggs into the well. Using your hands or a fork, whisk the eggs and then start combining a small amount of the flour into the eggs pulling flour from the inner walls.
Continue to pull flour in to the well from the “wall” and combine with eggs until flour is fully combined.
Sprinkle more flour on the surface for kneading. Knead dough for 3-5 minutes or until fully combined. You will know the dough is done by pressing into it with 1 finger. If the indentation bounces back to form, the dough is done.
Let dough rest for at least 30 minutes. You can make ahead and store in the fridge for up to 24 hours or freezer for up to 3 months. If making ahead make sure dough comes to room temperature before rolling it out.
For this example, I made bucatini with a pasta press attachment on my kitchen aid however the recipe is the same for whatever shape you choose.
You can also roll the dough out with a hand crank or a rolling pin and then hand cut pasta into long strips, essentially fettuccini or tagliatelle. If you are doing this method and using a pasta roller, roll pasta through until you get to #2 thickness. If you are rolling with a rolling pin you want the dough thin enough that you can see some light through it when you hold it up. This method is a work out so be prepared.
