Fresh Pasta

Stop what you are doing, and make some fresh pasta.

Here's the deal. You can do this. I can do it, you can do it. It's not hard, although I was scared for years to try this. Do you have flour and eggs? Okay, good. Let's make this. Plus, if you have a pasta roller, great, but if you don't, get some rockstar arms with a rolling pin, you'll need a workout after the alfredo recipe at the end of this post. (No rolling pin or pasta roller? Small canned goods work, but you have to cut the dough very small) Three eggs, one bowl, one fork. Make those eggs one yummy pre scrambled eggs party. Every egg I use, I use 1/2 cup of flour. You add so much more during the kneading so the measurements are not precise. It's not like baking so if you accidentally add more flour, don't worry. If there are too many eggs, don't worry. Just make sure you have 3 eggs, 1 1/2 cups flour to start, or double the recipe for however many you are prepping for. I am making this for two people with huge appetites. So I always start with that.

So I have done a few batches of this dough. This particular one, I decided to create a complete mess in my kitchen. If you are feeling like cleaning up a mess, by all means, do this approach. If not, do NOT do what I am doing in the previous photos and instead and do it in a big ol bowl.

 This looks extra pretty and fancy and chef-ish on your counter, but it's a bi#ch to clean up.

 Another obligatory, "I am such a good chef, but I don't have Food Network cleaning up after me" -Wanna Be Giada Making "pah-stah" picture.

 Here we go. Give this a good mix. Some say to slowly incorporate the flour. Do it, it is less messy. But in a bowl, just go at it as long as the eggs are mixed together. Keep that bag of flour next to you, you'll need it. Add some handfuls if it gets sticky. Oh, by the way, are you married, engaged, or love any rings in general? Forgot to say this: take off your rings off before any of this unless you like the look of flour -y rings and another annoying clean up and/or questionable looks from your husband and co-workers of why you are a slob. But if you are already starting this recipe before reading the whole post, that is your own fault.

 Throw some flour down on your workstation. Remember what you heard from your grandmother and ancestors about kneading dough? Do it. Now. For quite a while… (5-7 min) It will magically come second nature to you believe it or not.

 And this is my kitchen on a clean day. You're welcome. (Wine is included)

Knead the dough until your workstation looks less flour-y and more cute/chefy looking. (Don't use my workstation as an example).

 However you decide to roll this dough out, first wrap it in plastic wrap and let it set for about 20 minutes or 2 glasses of wine. Then cut it in sections.

 Then, either use your pasta roll thing or rolling pin or fancy kitchen aid attachment (if you are reading this, why are you reading how to make pasta if you already own a fancy  $175 kitchen aid attachment?) and flour it and roll a thick piece through on highest setting (usually a 10). If you are using a rolling pin, I want your arms. Keep lowering your pasta rolling setting until your liking Or, just keep on rolling and adding flour until you like the thin/thickness.

Have your husband/significant other take makeup-less and candid pictures of you you will later regret asking him to take. Sidenote: Remind my husband to compliment me.

Roll your pasta through your preferred pasta setting or cut with a pizza cutter. Flour a baking sheet with kitchen towel on it to get it ready to boil.

 I cheated and used my fry-daddy insert to drop my pasta in but you can just drop it in boiling SALTY water for 2-5 minutes until it floats.

 In this case, I used Pioneer Woman's alfredo sauce recipe and it was delightful.

 

Let me know how this was for you. If you want to impress your significant other, do this RIGHT NOW.