Homemade Egg Pasta

September 29, 2011 / No Comments

Making Pasta at home is actually much easier than you might imagine. Imagine delicate layers of egg pasta nestled between a spicy tomato sauce and meltingly tender cheese for unforgettable lasagna. Or maybe you’d prefer soft pillows of ravioli stuffed with a tasty ricotta and spinach filling. You too can prepare dishes like this, and many others once you learn the basic technique of making pasta.

You don’t need a kitchen full of equipment to make pasta, but a hand-rolling machine that also cuts is a big time saver. The Atlas model from Italy is an inexpensive brand, and it can be found in most department or kitchen stores. At around $30-40 it is well worth the investment if you think making pasta is something you’ll enjoy. There are many ravioli forms available, but I find it is just as easy to make ravioli by hand. A dough scraper is helpful particularly if you make your dough on the counter or on a pastry board as I do. I also have a few hand cutters that crimp, cut, and seal as you roll them over the prepared dough. Of course having a good pasta pot is very important, and makes preparation much easier. An eight-quart size seems to be the average size available.

Why Healthy

Eggs are rich in protein and include all the amino acids the body needs which helps to preserve lean muscle and create a feeling of fullness.

Homemade Egg Pasta

Making your own pasta at home is much easier than you would think!

Yield: Serves 4

Prep Time: 1 hr

Cook Time: 5 mins

Ingredients:

3 Large Eggs
2 Cups All-Purpose Flour

Directions:

Mound the flour onto a large board, making a hollow in the center.
Break the eggs one at a time, mixing the egg into the flour with a fork.
Once all the eggs have been incorporated into the flour, begin to knead with your hands until the dough is stiff and elastic.
Cover with plastic wrap and let sit 30 minutes before using.
Break off a fist sized piece of the dough and flatten into a disc.
Flour well, then pass it through the widest openings of your pasta machine.
Remove, fold into thirds and repeat.
Do this 4 or 5 times, dusting with flour between each time.
Now start to decrease the rollers by turning down one notch each time.
Put the dough through each setting twice until you have reached your desired thickness.
For stuffed pastas, you will generally roll it to the thinnest or second thinnest setting.