Pasta generally runs for only $1 a box and so frankly, I’m not convinced it’s worth the extra effort to make your own fresh pasta. On the other hand, it always tastes better fresh and if you’re doing flat pasta (or a stuffed pasta like ravioli) it’s just not that hard to do.
Making Basic Pasta
To make pasta take two cups of flour and put them on a clean counter. Yes, really. . .you’ll save yourself from washing the dish and you’re going to have to dirty the counter anyways. You need to put the flour in a mountain and then make a ‘crater’ in the middle of the pile.
Inside the well, place three large eggs and ½ teaspoon of salt. Mix the eggs in the well without disturbing the flour. So when you’re finished with this step you should have a mound of flour with the beginnings of scrambled eggs inside!
Using a fork, gently incorporate the flour into the egg mixture, a little at a time. Remember that gluten is temperamental and so over mixing will ruin your finished product.
Once all of the flour is incorporated, use a bench knife to blend the dough together well. (You could also use a spatula if you don’t have a bench knife.)
Bring the mixture together, using your hands to form a ball. If it’s too wet, coat your hands with flour so you can work with it.
Knead the dough for approximately 7 minutes. The dough should be completely smooth when you’re finished.
Divide the dough into three equal sections. Roll the sections into balls (so you’ll have three balls). Cover the dough with a cloth and let them rest for 15 minutes.
Take the dough and roll it out. If you have a pasta machine, you can use this to roll the dough. I don’t, so I can tell you that a rolling pin works just fine. Roll the dough until it is about 1/16 of an inch thick. You can then use a pizza cutter (rolled in flour) to cut the dough into the desired shape.
To dry the pasta, hang it on a drying rack. (Like the one you use for your clothing!) Then you can store it for up to a week in a Ziploc bag.
Remember that cooking fresh pasta takes about 3 to 4 minutes. It will float at the top when it is ready. (Hint: Since it cooks so quickly, have the colander handy before you start to cook!)
Want to know what to do with that fresh pasta? Try these:
Frugal Weddings: Skip the Prime Rib and Try a Pasta Bar