Easy Homemade Pasta

I think I was 30 years old before I realized that not all pasta comes in a box, is hard, and includes preservatives.  What's more, now that I know how incredibly easy homemade pasta is, and that my 3 year old can do it, I feel quite silly for having put all those preservatives and extra ingredients in my children's bodies for all those years.

I am here to start a movement called "Just say no to the box." Let's Boycott, let's start a petition, or better yet, let's just make our own pasta.  It's not only so easy you'll want to smack yourself, you can pronounce every ingredient and you can even remember the recipe without writing it down!  Don't believe me?  Here we go!

Homemade Pasta

4 Cups of unbleached all purpose flour (half the recipe if you have a smaller family)
2 tsp salt
6 free range eggs

Pile your flour on a cutting board or clean surface and make a well in the center making sure you have a thick wall of flour on every side

Crack the eggs in the center of the flour

Using a fork, scramble the eggs, gradually grabbing flour from each side until the dough is still very wet, but too thick to stir with a fork.

Now, gradually knead in the rest of the flour until a ball has formed and it isn't sticky.

 NOTE:  Weather, humidity, rain and other things you can't control effects both bread making and candy making so how much flour you need may change each time you make this dough.  You may not need to use all the flour. If a solid dough ball forms and isn't sticky, but you have left over flour, no worries, just toss it.  If you use all the flour and the dough is sticking to the surface, add a little more flour.

Once the dough is the right consistency, knead it an additional 10-15 minutes until it is smooth.

Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap to keep it from drying out, and let it rest at room temperature for at least 2 hours before trying to roll it out.  This is very important to allow the gluten to rest or your dough will be springy and refuse to roll out. It will be as useful as brushing your teeth while eating an oreo cookie!

Divide your dough into four pieces because working with smaller pieces is easier.  Roll the dough out until it's about 1/8 inch thickness. If you have a pasta machine, you are a lucky dog and you can just run it through the machine about 3-4 times and viola-pasta.  The rest of us have to bring the gun show to the party and just roll that dough with your muscles and a rolling pin until it is the right thickness

Now decide your shape.  Medium strips for fettuccine thick strips for lasagna, or 4 inch strips for ravioli.  Bon Appétit !