There are not many who love Italian food that do not rank pasta among their favourite dishes. However, for many people, they reply of store bought pasta to supply their cravings, and for a true Italian pasta experience, nothing beats homemade pasta. The only problem is, many do not know how to make real Italian pasta at home.
It is not a difficult task, and there are a number of kitchen pasta machines that can be purchased, but again, this is not at all a difficult process, and having one at hand will be greatly appreciated when preparing your pasta.
While it may take a little longer to make it at home, your taste buds will be grateful. When you sit down at the dinner table with friends and family, knowing you made it from scratch will give you a heightened sense of accomplishment and pride.
Flour
The first step is the flour. As a rule, the eggs should be room temperature as cold eggs tend to make it harder when mixing the ingredients together, so factor this into your morning routine so as to ensure you are good to go when ready to make your pasta
There are three grades of flour for pasta making. The grading relates to the amount the flour has been ground. The finest of the three comes with a “00” rating, and that is what is best for making pasta. This is due to it making the pasta silky and soft allowing it to form as a dough. If unable to purchase “00” rated flour, then use All Purpose flour as an alternative.
To get started you will need 400 grams of flour, four eggs and just a pinch of salt. This recipe will serve four, and that is due to the recommended per person serving being 100 grams. So if serving six, just make the adjustments based on that and also add one extra egg for each person as well.
Making the Pasta
Shape your flour into a circle and make a hole in the centre. Add the eggs and salt and begin to fold together. You may begin with a fork is needed, but once the dough starts to form, it is best to use your hands to properly knead the dough.
After you have forms your dough, it is time to run it through your pasta machine. This will thin the dough to about 2mm in thickness after running it through the rollers several times. The last step is to run it through the cutting blades and bingo bango, you have fresh homemade pasta.
Once the pasta is cut leave it to sit for about 30 minutes and sprinkle it with flour and cover with a towel. Once ready to cook, bring your water to a boil, add a tablespoon of salt per litre of water and cook the pasta for three to five minutes.
That is all that is needed, and your family and guest will think you are a world-class pasta chef.