Pasta Dough for Homemade Pasta

Pasta Dough for Homemade Pasta

Years ago, I would make homemade pasta a lot. I have an old pasta roller with cutting heads for fettuccine, linguine and spaghetti. I’d make the pasta, cut into spaghetti and hang it all on hangers until it was all cut and the water was boiling. For some reason, people found it unusual to come into the kitchen and see pasta hanging on hangers from every knob. It’s not that weird, is it?

These days, I usually only make homemade pasta for lasagna, but now that I think of it, I may get back to homemade spaghetti. It is a lot tastier than the store bought pasta.

I know what you are thinking. “Make my own pasta dough, yeah right. As if!” Don’t shake your head. Admit it. You know that is what you were thinking. 

You are going to need to know this recipe, however, for my famous spinach lasagna. You may think store bought lasagna noodles will work, but your role with this blog is not to think. Your role is to follow the recipes. So get your mixing bowl out and stop arguing with me. 

3-3/4 cups of flour

6 eggs

1 tbs. extra good olive oil

1/2 tsp. sea salt

Preparation

Now pay attention. This is something you should do at least once a week. Place the flour in a large mixing bowl. Make a large crater in the center of the flour. Into this crater add the eggs, salt and olive oil. Please note, I have learned from experience that it is best not to add the eggshells, just their contents. 

With a fork, gently start beating the eggs until they are well mixed. Gradually start incorporating the flour, a little at a time, into the egg mixture. Eventually a dough ball starts to form. At this point, set the fork down and flour your hands. Knead the dough for a few minutes. (Now if you forgot to wash your hands, throw the dough in the garbage and go get that box of lasagna noodles after all). The dough should hold all the flour and be slightly sticky to the touch. If necessary you can adjust it with a little more flour or water to get it right. Place the dough in a plastic bag and let it rest for a half hour. It is very tired. 

Take slices of the dough and roll them in your hands to make a cigar shape. Take a rolling pin and roll it into a ribbon. You may need to sprinkle a little flour on it if it sticks to the rolling pin. Corn flour is best if that happens. Let the ribbons sit on a clean towel until you are ready to assemble the lasagna. Note, you can also cut the ribbons into little noodles if you want them for your favorite pasta sauce.

Serving

However you cut and sauce the pasta, you will want to serve it with a bowl of soup, a crisp Caesar salad, homemade bread with butter, your favorite vegetable and wine. You are on your own picking out the wine.