It is all about the pasta

In my heart, I am Italian!  I will call Italy my home one day...the vineyards, the olives, the architecture...

(focus Kristie)

Where was I?....oh yeah...because of this I have an obsession for anything Italian...most importantly the food!  Two words....tomatoes and basil (mmmmmm).

Making pasta is one of my favorite things to make.  Dried pasta is good, really good but there is just something  about freshly made pasta.  It is lighter, the taste is cleaner, and best of all it can soak up the yummy sauce like a sponge.  Fresh pasta is super easy and I bet you have all the ingredients right now in your pantry.  The process is a bit time consuming but oh so worth the wait, I promise!!!

Egg pasta

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 4 eggs
• 2 teaspoons olive oil

Combine all of the ingredients in a mixer fitted with a dough hook and mix slowly just until most of the flour is absorbed by the wet ingredients.  When the dough starts to form a ball stop and knead dough by hand on a lightly floured surface.  Add flour as necessary if dough is sticky, I usually have to add around 1/2 cup.  Flour is your friend with pasta, be liberal with dusting your work surface. When the dough is no longer sticky and has a uniform consistency and color form into a ball and cover with an over turned bowl.  Let rest 30  minutes.

After 30 minutes divide dough roughly into 3 parts (while working with one part keep the others under the bowl).  Shape the dough into a flat oval and run through a pasta roller on the largest setting.  Fold rolled pasta in thirds and run through again.  Keep doing this until the dough is smooth.    When smooth run dough into a smaller and smaller settings until it is the desired thickness.  If needed, cut the rolled dough into lengths that are workable for you. Let these ribbons of rolled dough dry for 20 minutes on paper towels. Remember flour is your friend, flour the surface of the dough, and the roller as needed.

Depending on your recipe run it through a roller that will give you the pasta you need (fettuccine, spaghetti, lasagna).  You can use this recipe for any type of pasta you need.

To cook, boil in water until pasta floats to the top, this takes seconds.  Keep an eye on the pasta to avoid over cooking.

Things I have learned....

• Work in small batches.
• As soon as I run the dough to cut into pasta I cook it immediately.
• As soon as pasta is done I transfer it to a  colander set over a bowl to drain water.   I drizzle olive oil over it so it doesn't stick together.

Hope this helps you to enjoy the greatness of fresh pasta...because it is all about the pasta!