two weeks ago, i spent a sunday afternoon at madtown mama‘s house, learning (again) how to make pasta from scratch. i say “again” because she taught me several years ago, but it took me awhile to acquire my own pasta maker (the tool that rolls the dough flat and cuts it into lovely ribbons) and in the meantime, i totally forgot everything she’d said and when i tried the pasta machine out on my own, it was a complete disaster.
when i called to see if she’d teach me again, she said that her husband actually had more pasta experience, so i wheedled him into showing me the ropes. the photos you see in this post are my first solo attempt after that tutorial. they turned out so lovely and delicate and delicious! here’s the quickie instructions i followed:
combine (approx.) 2 cups semolina flour, 2 eggs (you might need to add another if they’re small and the dough is too dry), a few glugs of olive oil and a generous pinch of salt. knead by hand for a long time until the dough comes together to form a smooth, uniform ball. you may need to add a bit more oil, or another egg if it’s too crumbly, or more flour if it’s too sticky or wet. (see why i wanted an in-person tutorial?) the semolina is a coarser flour than all-purpose, but don’t worry about the slight grittiness–it will go away when cooked.
divide the dough into 6 portions and roll each portion somewhat flat. feed each flattened portion through the pasta machine rollers, gradually adjusting the rollers. you’ll probably need to go down four or five notches. if you want to cut the skinny size, you want the sheets to be slightly thicker and if you’re cutting linguine, roll them a notch thinner.
when they’re the thickness you think will work, run them through the cutting rollers. it helps to have someone else to turn the crank while you feed the pasta through with one hand and catch the cut noodles with your other hand. if the rollers don’t cut all the way through, re-roll your dough (perhaps a teeny bit thicker) and lightly flour both surfaces of the dough before sending it through again.
once the noodles are cut, hang them on a drying rack. if you allow them to dry for several hours, they will be brittle and break when you try to unload them off the drying rack, but they will still taste delicious. add to boiling, well-salted water and cook for 4-5 minutes, or until desired consistency is reached.
