Homemade Pasta

 

 

My Poppop and Nana recently moved in with my family and I couldn't be happier for them. I'm extremely lucky to be living under the same roof which two people that I look up to so much. It also helps that they are both great cooks and bakers. In the process of cleaning out their old house, we came across this pasta machine made by Marcato Atlas. "Made in Italy" is engraved on the side so it must be authentic!

 

 

With the help of my roommates (because making pasta is a group effort), we decided to test the machine out. And we realized that pasta making isn't all that difficult-- It's actually pretty fun. My Poppop would tell me stories of how his mother made pasta by hand and as a kid he would eat pasta a few times a week. So while I kneaded and rolled the dough, I thought back to how my Great-Grandmother would make it in Summit Hill, PA. As you run the dough through the rollers, it requires more and more muscle to push it all through. Although I never met my Poppop's mother, I imagine she must have been pretty strong to roll out that pasta every week.

 

Even though it's so much easier to use boxed pasta, making it by hand is such an incredible experience especially when you watch these simple ingredients transform into golden pasta. It's a process that brings people together by making and sharing a meal- which when you think about it is the Italian way. 

 

 

Ingredients:

All Purpose Flour--- 1 CUP + extra for work space
Egg--- 1 (Large)
Olive Oil--- 1 TSP
Salt--- Pinch

STEP BY STEP:

• 1. On a breadboard, create a well in mound of flour

• 2. Break egg and add to the flour well. Using a fork wish egg

• 3. Allow egg to soak into the flour and cover the egg by closing the well

• 4. Knead dough until a solid ball forms. Be careful not to overwork the dough as it can become tough

• 5. Flatten dough into a patty and lightly coat with flour

• 6. Set pasta machine to widest setting and feed the dough through the rollers (Using two people is REALLY helpful). Once rolled you should have a longer, flatter sheet of dough. Fold from end to end and roll again on the highest setting
• At first you may need to roll the pasta through the widest setting 2-5 times until the sheet becomes less airy

• 7. Fold, roll, and fold. Keep repeating this step while decreasing the width setting on your pasta machine. I have 6 settings on mine (1-widest to 6- narrowest) 
• You may need to lightly flour the outsides of your sheet of dough so it doesn't stick to the rollers 

• 8. Run pasta sheet on the narrowest setting which should now be just about paper thin

• 9. Attach pasta cutter and run sheet through once and just like that you'll have fresh pasta! (You'll also have to cut pasta into desired lengths)

 

• 10. Bring large pot of water to a boil then add pasta to boiling water. Let cook for 1-2 minutes

 Strain and serve with your favorite pasta sauce!!

(2/14/16) Post dedicated to my Nana and Poppop--- Happy Valentine's Day guys, I love you and welcome home!! -- Alex