Fresh Pasta In The Food Processor

HOMEMADE PASTA

Steps:

• Add all ingredients to a food processor.
• Process until mixture starts to form a ball. You should knead the dough for at about ten minutes until it bouncers back when pressed down with your finger.
• You may want to start with a little less water depending on the size of your eggs and moistness of your flour.
• Wrap ball in plastic wrap and let rest for about an hour.
• Then make your pasta using your pasta machine or rolling out. Enjoy -- .

FRESH HOMEMADE EGG PASTA DOUGH

Steps:

• To mix the pasta dough recipe in the food processor. Put 2 cups "00" flour, the 1 tablespoon semolina, salt, and nutmeg into the work bowl and pulse briefly to combine. Break the eggs into the work bowl, drizzle in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, and process the mixture until it forms crumbs the size of small curds. Stop the machine and pinch together a bit of the mixture between your fingertips and roll it around. It should form a soft ball. If the mixture seems dry, drizzle in another tablespoon of oil and pulse briefly. If it seems too wet and sticky, add additional flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, and pulse briefly. Turn the mixture out onto a clean work surface sprinkled lightly with semolina flour and press it together with your hands to form a rough ball.To make the pasta dough recipe by hand. Combine 2 1/4 cups "00" flour, the 1 tablespoon semolina flour, salt, and nutmeg on a clean work surface and pile into a mound. Make a well in the center of the mound, and break the eggs into it. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of the olive oil into the well. With a fork, break the egg yolks and whisk together the eggs and oil. Using the fork, gradually incorporate just enough of the flour from the inside wall of the well into the egg mixture to create a batter-like consistency. Work carefully so that you don't break the wall of flour, causing the egg mixture to run out and cause a mess. (Although if this happens, don't panic. Just use your palms to scoop up the egg mixture and work it back into the flour.) Now, use your hands to draw the remaining wall of flour over the thickened egg mixture and gently knead it just until it is incorporated.☞TESTER TIP: For the food processor method, always start with the smaller amount of flour listed in the recipe. If it's too sticky, you can always work in more flour as you knead. For the hand method, use the larger amount of flour and mound it onto your work surface, but only work in as much as you need to achieve the proper consistency.
• Using the palm of your hand, push the egg pasta dough gently but firmly away from you, and then fold it over toward you. Rotate the it a quarter turn, and repeat the pushing and folding motion. Continue kneading in this fashion, using a scraper to dislodge any dough stuck to the work surface. It will begin as a shaggy mass but will eventually turn smooth as you knead it over several minutes. You may not use all of the flour on the work surface.
• When the dough is smooth and silky, form it into a ball and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. Let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
• Before you roll and shape the pasta, keep in mind that how thin you roll the pasta will depend on what you're making, so be sure to carefully read your desired recipe. Most recipes, including those for ravioli and lasagne, call for stretching the pasta dough very thin-about 1/16 inch. Passing the dough through the second-narrowest roller setting (#6) produces a very thin pasta sheet. We usually don't go past that setting when making ravioli, although if making noodles, you might prefer to use roller setting #5 or even #4 for a more satisfying bite to your pasta.
• Set up your pasta machine with the rollers on the widest setting (#1 on a standard Marcato Atlas machine). Scatter a little semolina flour on the work surface around the machine and have more on hand for sprinkling the dough.
• Divide the pasta dough into 4 equal pieces. Rewrap 3 pieces and set them aside. Knead the fourth piece briefly on the work surface.
• Then, using a rolling pin or patting it with the heel of your hand, form it into an oval 3 to 4 in long and about 3 inches wide. Feed the dough through the rollers of the pasta machine, then lay the strip on your work surface. Fold the dough into thirds, as if you were folding a letter, sprinkle with a little semolina, and pass it through the rollers again. Repeat the folding and rolling process a few more times, until the strip of dough is smooth.
• Move the roller setting to the next narrower notch and feed the strip of dough through the setting twice, sprinkling it with a little semolina each time to keep it from sticking. Move the notch to the next setting. Continue to pass the pasta dough through the rollers, twice on each setting, until you have stretched it to the appropriate thickness.
• Once you've stretched the pasta dough (it will be a fairly long ribbon, depending on how thin you've stretched it), lay it out on a semolina-dusted surface (my mother would sprinkle an old tablecloth with semolina, but a clean dish towel works well), and cover it lightly with plastic wrap while you stretch the remaining 3 pieces in the same fashion.
• After rolling the pasta dough cut it into the shape you desire by hand or with a machine. (Editors' Note: We've got some terrific tips on cutting pasta by hand.) If making noodles, such as tagliatelle, linguini, spaghetti, etc., place a wire cooling rack on a rimmed baking sheet. Toss the cut pasta with a considerable amount of semolina flour (don't worry about using too much flour, as it'll fall off in the boiling water), and arrange the noodles on top of the rack in small piles. Use the pasta within the hour.

HOMEMADE PASTA IN A FOOD PROCESSOR

Steps:

• Place flour and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade and pulse to combine.
• With the machine running, add eggs one at a time and blend after each addition. Add olive oil and process until dough looks like a coarse meal that comes together when pressed into a ball, about 10 seconds. Do not over-process. If the dough seems excessively sticky, add a little more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, processing just until incorporated.
• Lightly dust work surface and hands with flour. Turn dough out of food processor and knead until elastic and smooth, and no longer sticky, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Shape dough into a disk and cover with plastic wrap or an overturned bowl. Let rest for at least 1 hour at room temperature (or up to 1 day in refrigerator) before rolling. If the dough has been refrigerated, let stand at room temperature for about an hour before rolling and shaping.
• Cut the dough into 6 to 8 pieces. Flatten it into small rectangles to fit through a pasta machine.
• Keeping the dough lightly floured, roll the pieces through a pasta machine set at its widest opening. Keep rolling pasta through machine as progressively narrower settings, forming strips.
• Lay pasta strips on a lightly floured surface and keep covered with towels. One at a time, fold strips into a flat roll and slice crosswise into ribbons. Unfurl ribbons and transfer to a floured baking sheet. Slice lengthwise into long ribbons, about 1 1/2 inches wide, using a sharp knife or pizza cutter.
• Cook pasta in boiling salted water for 2 to 4 minutes, until al dente. Drain and serve immediately.

FRESH PASTA IN THE FOOD PROCESSOR

Steps:

• 1. Put flour, egg, oil and salt in the food processor and process to a loose, grainy consistency. If it is a little sticky at this point, don't worry. You will just use less water.
• 2. With the processor running, add water 1 teaspoon at a time until the dough forms a single ball beside the central column of the processor. If you overshoot, add a little flour.
• 3. Remove the ball of dough from the food processor, fold it on itself a couple of times and form it into a ball.
• 4. Cover with a damp towel and let rest for 20 to 30 minutes to relax the gluten. If you cannot shape it immediately, wrap it very tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate. Bring back to room temperature before shaping.
• 5. Shape with your hands, a rolling pin, a pasta roller, or the like into the desired shapes. You will probably need to dust the dough with flour to work with it.
• 6. Toss the raw pasta in flour (optionally, mixed with a bit of cornmeal) to prevent sticking and use immediately or freeze. To protect complex shapes, freeze first on a cookie sheet and then toss in a bag.
• 7. To cook the pasta, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Shake any loose flour off the pasta a place in the boiling water. If you have frozen the pasta, do not defrost it but put in the boiling water while still frozen. Fresh pasta cooks in about 2 minutes, depending on its thickness. Do not overcook. Sauce it as you would any other pasta.
• 8. A NOTE TO NEWBIES: If this is your first time making pasta, consider making plain pasta. Flavored pasta doughs tend to be a bit harder to work with than plain. Any flavoring that contains water (e.g. vegetables) will probably require that you add more flour. Sharp seeds like caraway will want to tear the pasta.
• 9. TO MAKE SPINACH PASTA (updated 3/24/17): Before adding the eggs and oil, process fresh spinach with the flour. Then continue as before, adding water or flour until the dough forms a ball. Since spinach is predominantly water, you will need less water than for plain pasta. To use bagged, pre-washed spinach, cook as indicated on bag then wring out by pressing against the side of a sieve or colander. To use frozen chopped spinach, drain and wring out in a towel as much water as you can.
• 10. TO MAKE OLIVE PASTA: Pit about 20 medium oil-cured, calamata, or other olives and add to the flour and egg in the food processor. Omit salt for all types of olives. Omit olive oil for oil-cured olives. Compensate for the saltiness of this pasta in the final dish, e.g. don't use this pasta with a salty ham. This pasta is good mixed with other pastas for multi-colored pasta dishes.
• 11. TO MAKE OTHER FLAVORED PASTAS: Add flavoring during the process of making the dough and adjust water and flour amounts as necessary. Possibilities include any green leafy herb (parsley, basil, etc.), spices (e.g. pepper), a vegetable paste (tomato, olive, etc.), vegetable juice (instead of water, e.g. beet juice for pink pasta), and so on.
• 12. FLOURS TO USE FOR PASTA: Pasta can be made with almost any flour. Finely ground durum flour is used in Italy and makes delicious pasta. American "semolina flour" is often more coursely grained but can add flavor and texture to a pasta made with it mixed with other flour. Whole wheat pasta can be made with either 100% whole wheat or a mixture of whole wheat and white flour. It will take proportionately more water than white flour pasta. Rye noodles can be made using rye flour but note that, as rye does not make gluten, these noodles will be more fragile and the dough will feel gummy. These are probably best rolled by hand rather than in a pasta roller. (Updated 3/24/17) Using bread flour, with its increased gluten, makes a slightly stronger, more elastic pasta great for ravioli and other applications where strength is needed, such as very fine angel hair pasta.

HOMEMADE LASAGNA NOODLES

Steps:

• Add flour and salt to the bowl of a food processor; pulse a few times to combine.
• In a medium bowl, mix eggs and olive oil with a fork until just combined. Pour over flour mixture in food processor. Pulse several times until no dry flour remains. Process for about 1 minute, or until dough has gathered into a ball then broken into bead-like fragments and gathered into once or twice more. (This will both mix and knead the pasta dough.) If the dough gets stuck at any time, turn off the food processor and nudge the dough slightly and continue to process.
• Remove the pasta dough from the food processor and shape with your hands into a smooth small and cover with plastic wrap. Let rest for 30 minutes or up to 1 hour at room temperature (the longer it rests, the softer and easier to work with it will be). (Roll out immediately or refrigerate for up to 1 day.)
• Dust a rimmed baking sheet generously with flour.
• Divide dough into six equal pieces on floured work surface and cover five pieces loosely with plastic wrap. With your palm, flatten one piece into a rough rectangle about 1/2-inch thick; rub all over with flour. Feed one end through a manual pasta machine, beginning at the widest / lowest setting (1). Fold rolled dough into thirds, as you would a letter and roll it through again, feeding the narrow end through the machine; repeat this folding / rolling process three times, dusting with flour as needed.
• Now you'll run the dough through progressively narrowing settings without folding. Turn dial to the next setting (2) and, feeding the narrow side first, run dough through again. Repeat at the next four settings (3, 4, 5, 6), stopping on the second to last setting. (For a shorter noodle, cut the dough in half crosswise before running through the pasta cutter.) Cut noodle into 2 equal pieces or your desired length and place in a single layer on prepared baking sheet. Lightly dust with flour. Repeat with remaining dough portions.
• Use noodles in your favorite lasagna recipe!

FRESH PASTA DOUGH (FOOD PROCESSOR)

Steps:

• Combine flour, eggs, olive oil, salt and pepper in the b owl of a food processor. Whirl in short bursts until dough comes together, about 15 seconds.
• If dough appears too dry, add a few drops cold water. If too wet, add flour.
• Turn out onto a wooden board and gently knead together until smooth and elastic. Rub with oil and wrap in plastic. Set aside on counter surface to rest for at least 30 minutes. Dough can be chilled overnight and rolled out just before you wish to cook and serve.
• To roll out, follow manufacturer's directions from pasta machine.
• To cook, toss pasta into 4 quarts of boiling salted water. Stir once or twice and boil uncovered until al dente. Cooking times will vary depending on the size of the pasta but will require less time than dried pasta. Drain and return to pan. Immediately serve or toss with sauce.

FRESH PASTA

Steps:

• Beat together the eggs, yolk and olive oil with a fork in a large spouted measuring cup.
• Combine the flour and a large pinch of kosher salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse briefly to combine. With the food processor motor running, gradually pour the egg mixture through the feed tube and let it run until the dough forms a ball around the blade. (If the dough is too sticky to form a ball, add a tablespoon or so of flour and process again. If it is too crumbly to form a ball, add cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and process again.) Once the dough forms a ball, process until smooth and springy, 20 to 30 seconds.
• Transfer the dough to a floured work surface and knead several times, until the dough comes together in a smooth ball.
• Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. (The dough can be made 1 day ahead, wrapped and refrigerated. Let it come to room temperature before rolling.)
• Anchor a pasta machine to your countertop or secure the pasta attachment to a stand mixer. Set the machine to the widest setting. Unwrap the dough and cut it into 4 equal pieces. Wrap 3 of the pieces while you work with the fourth.
• Flatten the dough into a rectangle and lightly dust with flour. Roll it through the pasta machine at the widest setting. Fold the dough in thirds like a letter and feed it through the pasta machine. Repeat the folding and feeding of the dough through the machine 2 more times. (Rolling and folding in this manner will help strengthen and smooth the dough.)
• Set the pasta machine to the next setting (one setting thinner than the widest). Flour the dough as necessary and feed it through the machine. Repeat, feeding it through one more time.
• Adjust the machine to the next thinnest setting and feed the dough through 2 times as above. Continue changing the setting and feeding the dough through 2 times for each setting until you have fed the dough through the second-to-last setting. The dough should be thin enough so that you can see your hand through it.
• If you are cutting your pasta into noodles: Stop rolling the dough through after you have gone through the second-to-last setting.
• If you are making filled pasta, like ravioli: Change the machine to the final setting and feed the dough through.
• Cut the dough in half crosswise and cover it with plastic wrap. Repeat the folding, rolling and cutting process with the 3 remaining pieces of dough. Cover each piece of dough as you finish. You should have 8 pieces of dough total.
• If you are cutting your pasta into noodles: Affix the cutting attachment to the pasta machine. Choose the desired setting and feed the dough through. Lightly toss the noodles with a little flour on a baking sheet to prevent sticking and cover with a dry kitchen towel while you process the rest of the dough. Cook the noodles in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, 3 to 4 minutes.
• If you are making filled pasta: Proceed according to your recipe's instructions.

FRESH PASTA

Steps:

• Place the flour in the bowl of a food processor. In a small bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Add the salt and olive oil to the eggs and stir to combine. Add the egg mixture to the food processor with the flour and pulse to combine the ingredients, scraping down the sides once or twice. Continue, with the machine running, until the liquid is evenly distributed, about 1 minute. The dough should stick together if pinched between your fingers and be cornmeal yellow in color. Some of the dough will be clumping together, but it will not form a ball.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Gather the dough into a ball and knead gently until the dough is smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes before rolling and shaping as desired.

FOOD-PROCESSOR PASTA DOUGH

Steps:

• In a food processor blend all ingredients except for additional flour until mixture just begins to form a ball. On a lightly floured surface knead dough, incorporating additional flour as necessary, until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Dough is best used immediately but may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, wrapped in plastic wrap.
• To roll pasta dough:
• Set smooth rollers of pasta machine on widest setting. Cut dough into 4 pieces and wrap 3 of them separately in plastic wrap. Flatten unwrapped piece of dough into rectangle and feed through rollers. Fold rectangle in half and feed through rollers 8 or 9 more times, folding in half each time and dusting in half as necessary to prevent sticking.
• Turn dial down to next (narrower) setting and feed dough through rollers without folding. Continue to feed dough through, without folding, making space between rollers narrower each time, until narrowest setting is reached. Halve sheet crosswise and arrange on a dry kitchen towel, letting pasta hang over edge of work surface. Roll out remaining dough in same manner. Cut dough while pasta is still soft.