Serves: 4
Approx cost: β¬0.80
Approx calories (per serving): 360 (not including any sauce)
Approx preparation and cooking time: 80 mins
[dropcap style=”font-size: 60px; color: #0B0B61;”]Long has the “war” raged about whether fresh pasta is better than dried pasta, or even whether home-made pasta is better than the store-bought variety. I’m no pasta connoisseur, but I definitely think there are advantages and disadvantages to both. Beloved food of students throughout the western world, the humble pasta is probably one of the most versatile things there is. It seems like there is literally no end to the things you can do with it. Only got a can of soup and some pasta in your cupboard? VoilΓ – a delicious mushroom pasta bake, whipped up in minutes. Yeeeah, ok – maybe it doesn’t sound so appetising but it’s better than going hungry! Fresh and home-made pasta definitely has a different texture to it. You can actually cook it “al dente” without that kind of chewy centre to the pasta when it’s served. It feels more moist and porous and is generally a much more pleasant eating experience I think.
Most of all though, making pasta at home is fun, fun, fun… not to mention pretty darn cheap. I tell you – one day when I have kids, I’ll set them to work in the kitchen each sunday making a batch of pasta for the week and they’ll love it because you get to smush eggs and flour all over the surface and then end up with a dough which you can push into little shapes (if you’re so inclined… dolphins, horses, garden gnomes, wheeee!) Joking aside – by doing it at home you don’t lose out much – if at all, financially, compared to buying the same quantity of fresh pasta from a store, and you have full control over what goes into it. No funky preservatives or colouring. It’s all good stuff, and if you want to start getting creative – adding chopped fresh basil or spinach for example then you totally can. Added to that, there’s the whole “Oh, yeah, I made the pasta too” thing when you serve it out. Seriously, you can serve someone some tomatoes simmered in a pan with fried onion on pasta and it’s like “ah, nice simple pasta dish and tomato sauce”. You make the pasta too and stick a basil leaf on top and all of a sudden it’s a gourmet meal! Great way to impress potential boyfriends/girlfriends, or even just as a nice surprise for your partner… jus’ sayin’ :). Ideally you should try to use a type of flour called “Tipo 00”. The finest grade of flour you can get, it will produce the best results for pasta. For cost-efficiency I used simple plain flour and the results were completely fine.
Anyway – I hope you’re all doing good. I’ve got a few “Non festive” recipes I need to get out of the way and then I’ll be starting my little run-down to Christmas soon myself so stay tuned for those π My next post is going to be on the 3rd December – one day later than my normal posting schedule – as I want to coincide it with a little celebration of my own here. Have a great day everyone!
Ingredients
- 375g Plain Flour
- 2 Eggs
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 tsp Salt
Instructions
- Sift the flour out onto a clean, flat work-surface and form a large well in the middle. Crack the eggs directly into the centre of the well and add in the salt and Olive Oil too.
- Pull the sides of the flour pile inwards and combine the eggs with the flour. It will look pretty messy in the beginning but eventually you’ll have something relatively tidy looking like in the picture below. At this stage the dough is still very “dry”, a bit like pastry. You need to knead this dough for about 10-15 minutes, by which time you’ll have a very elastic, smooth dough. Place the dough into plastic bag and set aside for 30 minutes. You can use this time to start making a nice sauce if you wanted, though bear in mind it will still have to be rested again for a further 30 minutes.
- After the 30 minutes is up, remove the dough from the bag. If you have a pasta machine the next part will be easy. Simply run the dough through the rollers – run through twice on the widest setting and then once on every other setting, getting thinner each time. Make sure the surface under the pasta machine is floured. It will get incredibly long so you’ll either want to cut it into several pieces or have someone to help you. Once you’ve run it through the rollers you can run it through one of the cutting attachments. If you don’t have a pasta machine then you’ll need to roll it by hand. You have to roll it incredibly thin – about 1 or 2mm. You’ll probably find it easier to do this in pieces, so split the dough up first. To cut it into tagliatelle or similar by hand, simply roll up the dough into a sausage shape and then simply make cuts of the desired width going down the length. When you until the cut pieces again you’ll have your tagliatelle pieces automatically. Whether done my machine or hand, hang up on a pasta rack for 30 minutes to allow to dry a little.
- After 30 minutes place a large pan of water on to boil and when it’s boiling place all the pasta into the water. Cook until the desired softness is achieved. “Al dente” should take about 3-5 minutes – depending on various factors… hob efficiency etc, so taste a piece after it start to look done and decide for yourself. You can take the dried pasta from the rack, place in a bag and freeze if you’d rather make a large batch and store it away for later! Don’t forget your sauce and a good bit of parmesan cheese! Enjoy π
Marianna says
I don't have a pasta machine ( Do you think it's possible to do with a mincer maybe? It should return the pieces of the same shape, maybe a bit short tho. I don't know anything here, just guessing! )
Charles says
lol, I think using a mincer would be a disaster waiting to happen. You might get a thick noodle shape but it wouldn't have the right consistency… I think it would end up falling apart when you cooked it. Easier to just roll it flat and use a knife I think. If you were doing it by hand you could even make your own ravioli… fry up some minced beef, ricotta, basil, sun-dried tomatoes, put some on the pasta and place another sheet on top. Cut them out and crimp them shut… easy! π
fati's recipes says
Lol, aren't you so creative? Maybe Charles is right about the disaster, but I would so try it for fun! If you ever do, just don't put in the little blade that sits behind the mincer… then let us know how your pasta goes π
Marianna says
thank you for the support of imagination and creative approach!! Charles sees disasters everywhere (
if I ever try it, will make photos ))
Jen says
Looks simple enough! I will try this π
Charles says
Thanks Jen – I hope you do! Let me know if you give it a crack! π
kristy says
Love this Charles!!!! Pasta, next to sushi, is easily my all time favorite food. I recently made some homemade pasta and boy was it good. I have a pasta maker on my Christmas list…speaking of which I need to leave that lying about for Mike to "stumble" across. LOL. Looking forward to your celebration this week – you're a regular party around here lately! π
Charles says
Haha, "lying about" to be stumbled across – I like that, though I'm often more direct in my gift requests – "please, please, can I haz?", doing my best to pull this face at the same time. Hope Santa delivers for your! It's a lot of fun making pasta – next time I'm gonna try putting some basil in for sure!
Kelly says
I agree with the convenience factor (and there's never been any dispute in my mind over its deliciousness), pasta is the classic fallback meal in this family. I can always pull it together with whatever items I happen to have on hand… and what fun to do the homemade variety – a little bit like homemade pizza nights on the stone – just an instant party atmosphere π (love the pasta rack Charles!) Looking forward to your festive posts and to December 3rd…À bientôt mon ami.
Charles says
Thanks Kelly – the pasta rack is pretty cool, and much more sturdy than these rickety wooden things I find. I'm looking forward to the weekend and my festive posts too – it'll be fun to eat that stuff! π
Sissi says
Charles, you are incredible! I have never even tried to make pasta at home and the pasta machine I sometimes see on tv is one of the last items I would put on my wish list. I think I'm too lazy. On the other hand you make it look so easy! I love the pasta rack and your dish looks gorgeous!
(The funny thing is most Italian restaurants in my city saying they serve also fresh pasta and people believe them (not me!): they charge you at least 50% more than for a pasta secca dish and their pasta comes usually from the fridge department of the nearest supermarket…).
Charles says
Hi Sissi – to be honest, it's really easy! You get a good workout for smacking about the dough and delicious results at the end. I don't eat at many Italian restaurants to be honest. The problem I find is that too many of them are really poor quality… no love or care going to making the dish which is sad. There's a place down the road from my place which just makes terrible pizzas.. omg, the worst I ever tried!
Eva kitcheninspirati says
What a great looking dish, Charles. And I have to agree, home made pasta is much nicer than store bought, not to mention it totally tastes healthier! I have a pasta roller attachment for my Kitchenaid mixer that gets used for a lot of things but not pasta (trying to cut the carbs down). Maybe this weekend I'll drag it out for a good, old fashioned pasta dish and sauce. Great weather for it, rainy and drab.
Charles says
Hi Eva, thanks for your kind comments I hope you're able to realise your pasta dreams this weekened π
Eva kitcheninspirati says
π
Greg says
Fresh is best, but it's way too time consuming for weeknights. I make fresh for ravioli and a few other things. I always have a ton of dried pasta on hand because it's so great for weeknight meals. Your pasta looks fantastic! And yes, very gourmet.
Charles says
Hi Greg = it's definitely not ideal for weeknights, I agree – although it can always be frozen for quick, deliious meal!
Stefanie says
You even have a cool pasta drying rack!! I definitely prefer homemade pasta. My mom and I used to make pasta fairly regularly when I was younger and lived at home. I haven't had fresh pasta in quite a while…. might need to remedy that!
Charles says
Hehe, thanks Stefanie – the past rack isn't so expensive actually, and more effective than the rubbishy wooden ones! I was very happy with this batch – I'm going to make some ravioli soon I think!
A_Boleyn says
Love your pasta rack. Next spring, I'll have to hike through the weeds to my parents' cottage and see if I can find the pasta machine I gave my mom. That's if the mice haven't chewed the place to bits.
Charles says
Hehe, I'm convinced that the world monopoly on pasta machines is held by one company. They seem to look identical all the time! Hope you're able to find it – mich-free of course π
Christy says
Ah, the good old pasta..and I am amazed that you made it yourself too!:) Proves that nothing can be too much trouble to you ya?:D
Charles says
Haha, thanks Christy π
Pure Complex says
You did such a wonderful job with this pasta.. I think I may be brave enough to try this recipe π
Charles says
Thanks Kay – let me know if you tried it!
fati's recipes says
Yumm… do we get a recipe for the sauce?!
I've been wanting to make pasta myself for a really long time, but I keep putting it off… Maybe one day when I'm feeling extra bored and free I'll have a go! π Thanks for the recipe, at least I've got 1 step out of the way: finding a really good pasta recipe! π
Charles says
Hi Fati – I wasn't planning on posting the sauce recipe actually because I didn't take any photos – to make it though you can just chop an onion, sauté it in some olive oil, chop some tomatoes and add in with salt, pepper, bit of oregano etc… simmer down until reduced and then add in some mussels. Stir to heat through and serve
Nami | Just One Cook says
Fresh pasta made from scratch! That's something I am interested in doing maybe after I start baking…(that's still my priority). I love pasta and I know it will taste much better than store bought pasta. Your pasta rack made me laugh because we use very similar rack for drying towels in Japan…(as we don't use a dryer so we hang towels like that). Hehee.
Charles says
Hi Nami – making pasta gives you a great feeling of accomplishment – I hope you get a chance to try it. I think I'm going to make ravioli next… stuff it with mushrooms, ricotta, sun-dried tomatoes… you can really let your imagination go crazy!
Karen (Back Road Jou says
I think the reason everyone loves the pasta they eat in Italy is the fact that they use fresh pasta for most of their dishes.
Charles says
Mmm, I hope I never go to Italy in that case. I already have a major weakness for pasta. I think I'd come back like a balloon if I went there π
shuhan says
fresh pasta is the best! I do get lazy though so I haven't been doing it for a while, but I will maybe tonight! thanks for the inspiration x
Charles says
Thanks Shuhan – I agree, eating some good pasta is one of the nicest meals I can think of… so simple! Let me know if you try it π
Melissa Placzek says
I'm so glad you posted this! I'm asking for a pasta maker attachment for my Kitchen Aid this Christmas! Can't wait to make basil, tomato and saffron pasta! How fun π
Charles says
Thanks Melissa – you've got me inspired to do some ravioli now, really yummy π I hope Santa pulls through for you this year! Enjoy your pasta endeavours and have a great day!
mjskit says
I have to admit that there is nothing better than homemade pasta! It can't stand up to dried pasta at all; however, it is a lot of work. I made it once with a friend and it was really fun to make, but it took forever. Maybe on a special occasion I'll make it again because you've really inspire me to, but for my weekly pasta dish, I'm going to have to stick with store bought and just imagine that it's Charles' homemade! π
Charles says
Hehe, yeah, it can take a fair while. All that rolling is pretty time-consuming. Next time I make it I'll probably go for a giant load and freeze most of it! Problem solved π
Hope you enjoyed your weekly pasta dish! Have a great day!
cooking gallery says
I've tried making noodles from scratch in the past and I really liked it, I just didn't like the mess I made ;-)! To be honest I like both fresh and store-bought pasta, but making pasta from scratch is definitely something that I would do again in the future, after all I have a pasta machine and I don't want to let it rot in my kitchen cabinet ;-). That drying rack is cool, I need to have one too…!
Charles says
Hi CG – It's definitely something I'm going to do more often to be honest. Really fun, and tastes great too. I find pasta machines are something you really need to commit to using regularly… same as bread machines. Either you get it and it just sits there, or you make an effort and use it all the time and feel really satisfied with your work!
kyleen says
Mhmm this looks delicious! I've made pasta at school before with an electric pasta roller so I thought it'd be doable to make it at home, even though I don't have a roller. Oh gawd, I gave up, it was so hard. But I recently came to possess a hand-crank pasta roller, so I'm definitely going to give this a try.
Charles says
Hi Kyleen – I can't imagine how hard it would be without a machine – electric or manual. Trying to roll everything out by hand using a rolling pin… ouch! Thanks for dropping by, glad I could inspire you π
Linda says
This is so timely, Charles, as a coworker just recently shared with me her mother's recipe for homemade pasta. Of course, its exactly as yours (not too much to do differently as far as ingredients go) but now I have the visual, thanks to your well done photos!! I'm very excited to try this. While my parents were Sicilian, other than gnocchi, manicotti or ravioli, they didn't make egg pasta like this!
Charles says
Hi Linda, it's a whole lot of fun – hope you can give it a try. Speaking of gnocchi, that's something I really want to try myself soon. I've heard bad stories about it being really hard and turning into a kind of "porridge" as soon as you start trying to boil it so I'm a little scared π
Jean | Delightful Re says
Charles, it's been soooo long since I made homemade pasta. Unfortunately, when a pasta machine was offered me some years ago I turned it down because I always did it by hand. But I do like making it by hand, so I won't whinge about it! You've inspired me, so I expect it will be on my menu soon! Mmm … a nice plate of your lovely pasta and some good homemade bread … heaven.
Charles says
Hi Jean! Sounds like heaven to me – don't forget some nice fresh sun-kissed basil and real nice, green extra virgin olive oil to splash on top! Have a great weekend π
Caroline says
I prefer homemade pasta if I have the time to make it, which is rare. So much fresher, and of course delicious. I love your pasta rack, what an awesome gadget. Yeah, I'm not so sure about the mushroom pasta bake, but that's just cause we're foodie snobs. π Homemade is just typically the way to go!
Charles says
"Yeah, I’m not so sure about the mushroom pasta bake" – of course… we'd need to add at least some parmesan to bring it up to our standards π
I never knew my pasta rack would be so popular… everyone is commenting on it, haha π
Kim says
This is an 80 cent meal? Are you kidding? :O
I'm definitely doing a lot of things wrong in the kitchen π
Charles says
Ah, to be fair, the pasta costs roughly €0.80. The sauce itself would add a little bit more on to the meal, though not much. The most expensive part of the sauce was the mussels. Take out those and just serve a good tomato sauce and it would only be €1.50 extra or so, if you're making it for 4 people π
A_Boleyn says
I searched your blog til I found this post after you mentioned that you had made pasta by hand. I TOTALLY forgot that I could have rolled the pasta sheet into a sausage and cut it that way. I’d like to add some dried herbs, maybe some ground cooked spinach to mix things up in the future.
Charles says
I didn’t make pasta for ages I must admit… to be honest when it’s so cheap to just buy, and the difference is often negligible it’s really not worth the time and hassle to do it by hand, though it’s certainly nice to be able to say “I’ve done this”.
A_Boleyn says
I WOULD like to try making ravioli with home made pasta, veggie and meat versions, but I want to buy one of those cute ravioli trays to do it with. I think I told you that I had give my mom my pasta maker years ago to make egg noodles with and need to go to their place and find it before the bungalow is bull-dozed by my brother. π
Otherwise, I agree, it’s a lot of time and effort for not that much return.