The fresh pasta experiment
Homemade fettucine. Photo by Lindsey Nair | The Roanoke Times.
This weekend, I was lucky enough to have three days off. It gave me some time to sleep in, clean house and tackle a kitchen experiment I’ve always wanted to try: fresh pasta.
My wonderful aunt gave me a set of pasta-maker attachments for my KitchenAid mixer as a Christmas gift. She’s had wonderful pasta in Italy, so I promised her I’d try to perfect my fresh pasta and make some for her next time we get together.
I was a little intimidated by the process. It seems that anytime I try to make a dough, it is challenging. Pie crusts took a while for me to master, I’m still working on biscuits, and dumpling wrappers and pierogi wrappers were both a long and arduous process even though they turned out well.
Amazingly, I only had to make two batches of pasta dough to get it (almost) right. I used a basic egg pasta recipe from the manual that came with the attachment. If my memory serves me well, it called for four large eggs, 3 1/2 cups of sifted all-purpose flour, a teaspoon of salt and a tablespoon of water.
When I tried to gather the first batch of dough with my hands, it was too crumbly. I forced it together, thinking it was a bit like a pie crust in that it would seem too crumbly when it wasn’t. Not the case. I could tell almost immediately that it wasn’t the right texture, so I went about making a second batch while the first one rested.
Lots of fettucine. Photo by Lindsey Nair | The Roanoke Times
For the second batch, I probably ended up using about three tablespoons of water before the dough would stick together when pinched without sticking to my fingers. This second batch was more pliable and therefore easier to knead. I think these kinds of recipes are written with the least amount of water possible to make them work, and maybe one tablespoon of water would work in the summertime or in Florida. But in this dry winter weather, it was just not enough. It’s possible, too, that the eggs I was using, while marked “large” on the carton, were not large enough. A large egg to one recipe might be too big or too small for another.
The key, as with other doughs, is knowing how it should look and feel. The second batch rolled through the pasta maker well. I cut it into fettucine, let it dry a bit on towels on the kitchen table, and cooked it about one hour later. I had no trouble with it sticking together. We ate it with homemade tomato sauce and meatballs, and it was delicious.
My next batch will hopefully be just a wee bit more tender (I probably overworked the dough a little). As with any of these dough recipes, practice makes perfect.
I know a lot of my readers are very experienced at making fresh pasta, so I thought it might be fun to have a discussion about it. I’d sure love to hear your tips and tricks so I can perfect my method, and I’m sure other readers are interested in making pasta.
January 22, 2013 - 10:46 AM
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I first made it with bread flour, but the glutens made it tough. I tried several different flours until I settled on White Lily. If you’re working strictly from a recipe, be sure to actually weigh the flour instead of just measuring.
For some reason, I’ve noticed that adding an extra egg yolk once I’ve got my egg mixture in seems to work well. I add a little sea salt and some olive oil. Once it comes together, I wrap it in plastic wrap and let it rest for 30-45 minutes.
When it’s ready, I start running it through the pasta roller on my KitchenAid. This time of year, once it gets thin enough, I just roll it up and cut it with a knife into wide strips for pappardelle (which LOVES rich, meaty ragùs).
drooooool….
*note to self: buy pasta attachment…
AJ…the pasta attachment is well worth having. You haven’t had lasagne until you’ve had it made with fresh sheets of pasta you made yourself. But I warn you, it will drastically raise your expectations for restaurant pasta. It’s like having your first fresh-made tortilla; suddenly, Taco Bell just doesn’t cut it any more.
I use a pasta mix of:
1-3/4 cup of King Arthur AP flour
1-1/4 cup of Semolina flour
1 cup of King Arthur White Whole Wheat flour
I make it up in 6 to 9 cup batches and keep it in the freezer.
One cup mix, one large egg, one tablespoon EVOO with about three tablespoons of water usually works for two people. You’re correct, water adjusts but never add more tha a teaspoon at a time. Watch your dough and when it forms a ball on the hook, it’s ready. You should be able to stick you finger into the ball and take it out with nothing on your finger. If it’s stickey, knead in a bit more flour – a little bit.
I start with the paddle and switch to the hook when it combines. Knead 5 minutes and let it rest 30 minutes before you start running it through the rollers.
Once you get the hang of it, you’ll never go back to dry.
By the way, sounds like you overcooked, fresh fettucini pasta needs to come out in about 2 minutes. Otherwise, it tastes flat and has no tooth. Other shapes cook faster if they’re smaller and longer if they’re widder or thicker. Never more than 3 minutes.
Also, add Fante’s Italian Grocery, in Philadelphia, in you web favorites folder.
You can buy small packs of semolina flour for making pasta. Kroger sells it in their organics section. I haven’t tried it though.
How about some love for The Souper Bowl that took place at the Taubman Museum over the weekend? Tons of local restaurants served some great soup and The River & Rail took first place with their outstanding “dessert soup.”
I have been making fresh pasta since I was a young boy and still have my first pasta machine. Just like anything else, practice makes perfect and here are a few things I have learned over the years.
- The drier the dough, the better the pasta but more difficult to work with.
- Eggs make pasta tough, so less eggs, the more tender the dough but more difficult to cook.
- After cutting any pasta, toss it with just a pinch of cornmeal and this will keep it from sticking together. Do not use flour because the pasta will absorb it in and make the pasta stick together.
- Semolina pasta is usually used for dried, extruded pasta and is really tough to work with at home. If you stick with the AP flour, you will be just fine.
- A food processor is a really easy way to mix your dough.
Also wondering if anyone has tried the fresh pasta at Mirko Pasta at Towers?
Thanks for the tips, John and both Jeffs. A recipe is one thing, but when it comes to something like this, it’s always better to have advice about the way the dough should look and feel.
Jeff Bland, would you consider sharing your dough recipe? You say eggs make the dough tough, so how many eggs do you use?
I’m also interested in whether anyone thinks it is worth it to make homemade pasta and dry it or freeze it for later, or if that defeats the purpose of making it fresh. I was thinking some homemade pasta would make a neat gift.
@Chef Jeff, I have not tried Mirko yet but I hear many rave reviews.
Lindsey; Like you experienced first hand, weather plays such a large part in pasta making. It is so dry right now, if you follow a standard recipe, you will need to add more water. If you are making in July or August, you will need less water because of the humidity here in VA. My recipe is pretty simple.
1 Cup AP Flour, 1 Large Egg, Pinch of salt, and water as needed. Put into a food processor and run until it starts to form little grains (almost looks like couscous). Pull out a little and squeeze into a ball. If it will not hold together, you may need to add a little more water. If it comes to a ball in the processor, you have plenty of moisture. If I am making sheets for lasagna, I will keep the dough a little moister. If I am making spaghetti, fettuccini or some other wide pasta, I will try and keep the dough as dry as possible. Really tough to roll out the dry dough but the reward at the end is so worth it. Let it rest for a while after making and between sheeting. After cutting, make sure you toss with a pinch of cornmeal. If I want really tender pasta, I will use 2 cups of AP flour, 1 large egg, and water as needed.
You also make an excellent point about getting spoiled on the good stuff. I discovered that the hard way after the first time I made homemade Pitas…put the grocery store things to shame!
Freezing fresh pasta is an option, just separate as much as possible and, most importanly, do not thaw prior to dropping it into boiling, salted water.
Making fresh pasta in small batches, from a mix, is still the best option. It’s usually ready by the time you finish the sauce and the water’s boiling.
Also, I use a manual machine, Atlas 150. You have better control than with the motorized machines.
If you still want the “power”, you can always add the motor.
Go you, Lindsey!
I have been making pasta for over 20 years now. I only followed a recipe at the beginning, now I just eyeball it and let it ride. Don’t be afraid to experiment. Add some garlic or purée some roasted red peppers or perhaps some spinach or basil! I usually make it for guests and special occasions. Pasta making is a great art that is a lot of fun and it really does taste great when done right.