For those of us who love to create and cook, there is nothing better than getting your hands in a mound of dough. Homemade pasta is not only simple to make; the taste and texture of homemade pasta are quite different from store-bought. The texture is very tender and silky, and it cooks in salted water for only about 2 minutes.
You can make your dough by hand, knead it, and cut it with a knife or use a pasta attachment to your mixer and either will produce an excellent pasta. My boys gave me the pasta roller and cutter attachments for my KitchenAid mixer, and I have had a blast using them. It could not be easier to use, and you can flavor or color the pasta with the addition of fresh herbs or pureed vegetables. The combinations are endless for a fabulous repertoire of homemade pasta recipes.
Fresh pasta is delicious drizzled with olive oil, salt, and fresh pepper, and pairs well with any sauce you choose. Thicker pasta or pasta shapes match well with heavier or meaty sauces, while thinner and lighter noodles hold up better with buttery sauces that are light.
Try your hand at making pasta and creating pasta dishes and happy spring, y’all!
Homemade Pasta Dough
This is a simple egg pasta recipe that may be combined with additional ingredients then shape or cut as desired.
3½ cups sifted plain flour
5 large eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
Make a mound of flour in center of a large cutting board. Make a well in center and break eggs into center of well. Sprinkle salt over eggs and add oil. Using hands or a fork, slowly mix eggs into flour, gradually incorporating flour. When combined, begin kneading dough until smooth and elastic. Dough will be very firm and elastic when kneading is complete, taking about 10 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap until ready to cut or shape with a pasta machine, a knife, or pasta attachment to an electric mixer.
Yield: approximately 1½ pounds pasta dough
Wild Mushroom Ravioli with Marsala Sauce
¼ cup olive oil
1 shallot, finely chopped
½ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 pound assorted wild mushrooms, baby Bellas, and button, chopped
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided
¼ cup ricotta cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ cup cornmeal for dusting
Plain flour for dusting
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add shallots, ¼ cup chopped parsley, and mushrooms. Cook or until mushrooms begin to release their liquid and shallots are translucent, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and cool just a bit before stirring in Parmesan and ricotta. Season with salt and pepper.
Sprinkle a board with cornmeal. Cut pasta dough into 4 pieces. Working with one piece at a time, keeping others covered with plastic, run dough through machine’s widest opening. Brush very lightly with flour and continue running dough through rollers, reducing size and folding each piece in half each time. Dough should measure about 1/16 inch thick. On a Kitchen Aid attachment this would be setting number 6.
Place one sheet of rolled dough on a lightly floured surface. Spoon 8 heaping teaspoons filling about 2 inches apart. Moisten pasta with a wet pastry brush on edges and top with a second sheet of dough. Using a fork or fluted pastry wheel, cut ravioli into 8 pieces, sealing edges of each piece. Transfer ravioli to a baking sheet and cover with a dish towel. Continue process with remaining dough and filling and cover until ready to cook.
When ready to cook, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add ravioli and cook until tender, but al dente, about 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and serve immediately with Marsala Sauce. Sprinkle each plate with the remaining chopped parsley and grated Parmesan cheese.
Marsala Sauce
3 tablespoons olive oil
¼ cup chopped onion
½ pound sliced mushrooms
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup Marsala wine
1 cup beef stock
½ cup cream
4 tablespoons butter cut into 4 pieces
Heat olive oil over medium heat in a saucepan. Add chopped onions, mushrooms, and sauce until onions are translucent and mushrooms are tender. Add garlic and cook for several minutes more, being careful not to burn garlic. Deglaze pan, adding wine, beef stock, and cream. Cook until sauce begins to thicken. Lower heat and swirl in butter one piece at a time. Check seasonings adding salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.
Yield: 4 servings
Spinach Tagliolini Pasta with Lemon Garlic Sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ pound baby spinach
½ tablespoon salt
4 cups plain flour, sifted
3 eggs
2 teaspoons salt
1 stick butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
½ cup fresh dill, chopped
Juice and zest of 3 lemons, reserving 1 tablespoon for garnish
Kosher salt and freshly ground blackpepper
½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 cup any mixed olives such as Kalamata, Castelvetrano, Nicoise, or Garlic Stuffed Green olives for garnish
Heat olive oil in a saucepan and add spinach and salt. Saute until spinach is wilted, about 3 minutes. Remove cooked spinach and press through a fine sieve over a bowl to remove any solids. Set bowl aside to cool and discard any solids in sieve.
Mound flour on a large board and make a well in center. Add eggs and salt to well, and stir gently with a fork to break up. Add spinach puree to eggs and stir to combine. Begin working flour into eggs until dough is formed. Knead dough until it is completely smooth and elastic. Cover with plastic wrap until ready to use. When ready to cut dough, divide it into 4 pieces, covering any that is not being used. Run through machine until it is very thin, brushing lightly with flour as needed. Using a cutting attachment, set width to smallest number. Pasta should be extra thin and long. Cut into 12-inch pieces and either dry on a pasta rack or twirl into nests. Repeat process with remaining dough. Bring a pot of salted water to a simmer and begin preparing sauce.
Melt butter in a saucepan until it begins to foam. Add garlic, parsley, and dill and saute for a couple of minutes or until garlic becomes fragrant. Add lemon juice and zest and swirl pan to combine. Season with salt and pepper and turn heat to its lowest setting. Bring simmering water to a rolling boil and add pasta. Cook for 2 minutes and remove from heat. Pour pasta through a strainer and shake to remove all liquid. Using tongs, add cooked pasta to butter sauce and toss until coated. Divide pasta between 4 plates and sprinkle each with reserved zest, Parmesan, and freshly ground pepper. Garnish plate with olives and serve.
Yield: 4 servings
Lasagne a la Française
This is simply a wonderful rich vegetable lasagne from Julia Child that I love making for any special occasion.
1 cup minced onions
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cups chopped plum tomatoes (fresh or canned), drained and juice reserved
½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
2 cloves garlic, minced
Big pinch of saffron threads
¼ teaspoon dried orange peel
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
½ pound fresh pasta dough, cut into 2-inch wide strips and approximately 12 inches long, cooked in salted water and drained
6 tablespoons butter
8 tablespoons flour
2 cups heavy cream
1/3 cup vermouth or dry white wine
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 cups well-seasoned cooked and chopped green vegetables (such as broccoli, asparagus, or spinach)
16 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
½ to 1 cup ricotta cheese
Heat olive oil in a large sauce pan and add onions. Cook until tender but not browned, about 6 minutes. Remove ½ cup and set aside. Stir in tomatoes, Italian seasoning, garlic, saffron, orange peel, salt, and pepper to taste. Partially cover pan and cook sauce over low heat for 30 minutes, adding some reserved tomato juice if sauce becomes too thick. Check seasonings and remove from heat.
In a separate sauce pan, melt 6 tablespoons of butter. Add reserved cooked onions and stir. Whisk in flour and stir until mixture is smooth, about 2 minutes. Lower heat and add cream and vermouth, stirring until smooth, adding more liquid if needed. Remove from theat.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a large baking dish and cover bottom with a layer of cooked pasta strips. Spread ¼ cup white sauce over noodles. Add half of cooked green vegetables and a layer of mozzarella cheese. Spread ¼ cup tomato sauce over cheese and half of ricotta cheese. Repeat process ending with fresh mozzarella and tomato sauce. Sprinkle Parmesan over all and place pan in hot oven.
Bake in upper third pan of oven for 30 minutes, or until dish is bubbling hot and cheese has browned nicely. Serve immediately with a simple salad and crusty bread.
Yield: 8-10 servings
Fresh Pasta with Heirloom Grape Tomatoes and Smoked Salt
½ pound fresh pasta, cut into 1/8-inch ribbons
1 pound any variety of heirloom grape tomatoes
3 fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
Smoked Sea Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling
Cut tomatoes in half and gently squeeze seeds and juice from them through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl. Discard seeds and juice and dice tomatoes.
In a mixing bowl, toss tomatoes with basil, garlic, and parsley and set aside.
Cook fresh pasta in salted boiling water for 2 minutes or al dente. Drain and transfer to a saucepan. Stir tomato mixture into hot pasta. Divide pasta among 4 serving plates and sprinkle each with smoked salt and pepper. Drizzle each plate with olive oil and serve.
Yield: 4 servings
Pasta with Vodka Sauce and Meatballs
¾ pound ground sirloin
¾ pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
¾ cup quick cooking oatmeal
1 cup milk
3 tablespoons chopped onion
1½ teaspoons Kosher salt
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
½ cup flour
½ pound fresh pasta noodles, cooked al dente
1 jar vodka pasta sauce
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese for garnish
Chopped fresh parsley for garnish
In a bowl, combine ground sirloin, Italian sausage, and oatmeal. Pour in milk and add onion, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine with a wooden spoon or your hands. Roll mixture into tablespoon-size balls and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Dredge meatballs in flour and brown until light brown in color. Place on a sheet pan and bake for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat sauce in a medium-size saucepan over low heat. Remove meatballs from oven and add to sauce. Place cooked pasta on a platter and pour sauce over. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley on top and serve.
Yield: 6 servings
