What are the raw ingredients that go into pasta? Apparent there is a lot more to it than what I buy off the grocery store shelf One time I told a friend of mine's mother, an old Sicilian woman that I had made spaghetti. She asked me how I made it so I started telling her how I made the sauce. She wasn't interested in that. She wanted to know how I cooked the pasta.
Basic pasta recipe is 3 eggs, 2 cups flour, a tablespoon of Olive Oil, and a teaspoon of Kosher salt. I use a bit more flour until the dough isn't sticky. If it is, it will stick going through the rollers. I use fresh yard eggs, and they are usually pretty big, thus the extra flour. I just put all the ingredients into my mixing bowl and turn it on (using the dough hook) for about 8-10 min. I take it out, put it in plastic wrap and let it rest for about 10 or 15 min. Then, I spread flour on my counter top, turn the dough out, cut it to appropriate size amounts to fit through the rollers. First you are making sheets, then you use the sheets to make whatever noodle size and thickness that you want.
Big time. It absorbs the flavor of your sauce. It also seems to have a better texture. I have started making the dough a day or two ahead and just wrap it in plastic wrap and stick it in the fridge. That way, it is super easy to just run it through the machine.
I'm not going to buy a machine but next time I'll try the pasta from the gourmet section of the store. Have you ever tried the spinach noodles?
Oh, I also made a quick rack to dry pasta on, so that I can use it later. I'm told it will last in a baggie for up to 6 months. I used a piece of 2x4 I had on hand. Drilled a few holes and stuck chop sticks in the holes. Voila, a pasta drying tree!
Haven't made spinach noodles, but have eaten them. Yes, very good. You can buy a hand crank machine for about $65
