authentic Italian home made pasta, fresh, silky, delicate
All my cooking class guests marvel at how easy is to make a fresh pasta dough. I use a food processor and few simple ingredients . The dough is ready in a few minutes.
Recipe
- 100 gr (3/4 cup) 00 or plain pastry flour
plus additional for kneading - 1 large egg
In a food processor blend the flour and eggs until the mixture just begins to form a ball. Depending on the size of the eggs, it might be necessary to add more or less flour in order to obtain a soft but not sticky dough. Alternatively, mix the ingredients on a lightly floured surface, then knead the dough, incorporating additional flour as necessary, until smooth and flexible, minimum 20 minutes. The dough can be used immediately but may be made 1 hour in advance and covered in plastic wrap. This resting period relaxes the gluten in the dough and makes it easier to roll it.
a quick an easy pasta dough made in the food processor
To roll the pasta dough:
Set the smooth rollers of a pasta machine on widest setting. Cut the dough into several pieces. Flatten one piece of dough into a rectangle and feed through the rollers. Fold the rectangle in three and feed through the rollers. Then fold again in half, roll and repeat 3 or 4 more times. Fold each time and dust with flour but only if necessary to prevent sticking.
Turn dial down to next (narrower) setting and feed the dough through rollers without folding. Continue to feed the dough through, without folding, making the space between the rollers narrower each time, until the narrowest setting is reached.
how to fold and feed pasta dough through a pasta machine
Arrange the sheet of pasta on a dry kitchen towel or large wooden board. Roll out the remaining dough in the same manner. The pasta should dry a few minutes and up to 30 min. before cutting. You should however prevent it from becoming brittle.
rolling the pasta sheet to narrowest setting and cutting the thin pasta sheets
Feed the sheets through the cutter and return the pasta to the kitchen towels. It should dry. at least 10 min. before cooking.
Serves 1 (2 for ravioli as a small entrée)
9 Comments
January 29, 2009 at 9:13 pm
Your top photo of the finished pasta looks so beautiful…….
I still can’t get over how often one has to pass the dough through the machine’s rollers, thinning it just a bit with each pass.
Being an impatient North American, I want to squash the dough through really hard, just one or twice, and have it come out thin. (poor dough!)
January 29, 2009 at 9:23 pm
Hi Sandra, Ruurd is getting really good at food pictures isnt’it? How clever of myself to have given him a good camera as a birthday gift.
But yes, the pasta sheets should be very thin. As you surely remember from the cooking class though, it’s not really a lot of work. With a bit of practice you can make noodles in 30 min.
I think it is as therapeutic as a treatment at the wellness centre but much cheaper!
February 21, 2009 at 9:57 pm
[...] make the stringozzi dough use the same food processor method which I have explained for egg pasta. Alternatively knead all ingredients on a floured wooden board until smooth and [...]
March 22, 2009 at 10:02 pm
[...] 1 recipe basic pasta dough [...]
October 19, 2009 at 1:23 am
Hello,
I’m looking to buy a food processor to make my dough, and to grind/mash herbs/spices. What processor do you use? I don’t want to burn out the motor the second time I use it.
thanks
ken
October 19, 2009 at 7:26 pm
Hi Ken
thank you for your comment. I use a Rowenta food processor but I am planning to buy a Magimix as soon as possible. Of course I have no idea what brands are available in your country but I always check reviews on Amazon, that’s a good starting point to know what’s good. If you make the pasta dough following my instructions you can actually use an reasonable machine.
November 14, 2009 at 9:08 pm
[...] buy is made with 100% durum wheat semolina, not with tender wheat flour which is used for bread, fresh pasta and general [...]
January 22, 2010 at 9:48 pm
[...] fresh herbs and good extra virgin olive oil. Last but not least, I do not mistreat my pasta. I use fresh egg pasta not ditalini or broken spaghetti. I cook it separately so it’s al dente. This way I get a [...]
January 26, 2010 at 9:17 pm
[...] the dough in a food processor as explained for fresh pasta. Alternatively mix ingredients by hand in a large bowl, then turn the dough out onto a lightly [...]