Pasta Night

My husband and son and a friend made some homemade pasta noodles the other night.  It's really easy and it's delicious.  My husband, being Italian, has a Pasta Machine, and it flattens the dough, and then cuts it into different sizes.  

Here's how they did it:

Homemade Pasta (Egg Noodles)

Ingredients (serves 12):

9 eggs

800 grams flour (about 6-1/2 cups)

1 teaspoon salt

Put the flour in a big pile, and hollow out the centre like a big crater.  Add the eggs and salt to the centre of the flour pile.  Beat eggs and salt with a fork and when mixed well, gradually add the flour from the edges into the centre of the pile until all the flour has been added.  Knead the dough for 3-4 minutes until no longer sticky. You may have to dust the surface with more flour as necessary.  Form the dough into a ball, and cover with a bowl.  Let stand for 1-2 hours at room temperature until it softens.

Cut a slice off the ball of dough, and run it through the pasta machine on the flattening setting.  Be sure to dust with flour generously before you put it through the machine.  You will end up with long strips of pasta.

Then cut the strips into 8" long pieces.  Put through the Pasta Machine on your desired setting (fettuccine or spaghetti for example).  Catch it as it comes out and lay it on a tray dusted with flour.

To cook:

Put the noodles in a large pot of boiling salted water for about 5-6 minutes.  Goes well with spaghetti sauce or Alfredo sauce.  Sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.  Enjoy!

Buon Appetito!

Angela Gentile