Perfect Homemade Pasta Food

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 -- .

PERFECT HOMEMADE PASTA OR SPAGHETTI FOR KITCHENAID MIXERS

Steps:

• Combine the semolina flour, all purpose flour, and salt in a large bowl. Using a fork, mix these ingredients together, then using a sifter, sift into another bowl. Set aside.
• In a separate bowl, combine the eggs & beat well with a fork.
• Add extra-virgin olive oil to the eggs and mix with a fork.
• Add the cold water to the egg & olive oil mixture, and mix with a fork.
• Pour the liquid ingredients into your mixer bowl and attach the flat beater.
• Add half of the sifted flour mixture, turn to speed 2 and mix 20 seconds. Add the rest of the sifted flour mixture and mix an additional 20 seconds.
• Exchange flat beater for the dough hook. Turn to speed 2 and knead for 2 to 3 minutes, until a dough ball is formed.
• Remove dough from bowl and hand-knead for 2 to 3 minutes. NOTE: Good pasta dough should be elastic and pliable, but FIRM (not soft like bread dough). It should not stick to your fingers or fall apart. To test for the correct consistency, pinch a small amount of dough together after kneading for 2 to 3 minutes -- if the dough stays together without sticking to your fingers or falling apart, it should work well. If too soft, add more flour by dusting the top of the dough and knead some more, continuing to dust the dough with flour until achieving the right consistency. If too dry, wet your hands and knead some more, continuing to wet your hands a little at a time & knead until the right consistency. (Achieving the right consistency isn't hard at all -- I got it just right the very first time I tried this recipe).
• Wrap dough in plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator for a minimum of 1 hour (this step is important).
• Remove dough from refrigerator and let it rest for 15 minutes. Using your hands, roll dough into a log, about 12 inches long.
• Cut log into 8 slices, then flatten each piece slightly. Spread slices out so they aren't touching and cover with plastic wrap.
• Using the widest setting (1 on the Kitchenaid), turn mixer to speed 2 and taking one piece of the flattened dough, feed through rollers. Fold dough in half & roll again. Repeat 3 more times, lightly dusting the sheet of pasta in between each rolling if it feels the slightest bit sticky.
• Move adjustment knob to setting 2 and feed the dough sheet through the rollers once.
• Move adjustment knob to setting 3 and feed the dough sheet through the rollers once.
• Continue to increase roller setting until desired dough thickness is reached: 3 for Thick "kluski" type egg noodles; 4 for standard egg noodles; 4 or 5 for lasagna noodles, fettuccine, spaghetti, and ravioli; 6 or 7 for tortellini, thin fettuccine, and linguine fini; 7 or 8 for VERY thin "angel-hair" type pasta/capellini or VERY fine linguine.
• Separate sheets once desired thickness is achieved with a thin towel or piece of plastic wrap dusted with flour, so the dough doesn't dry out too much.
• To cut the noodles, exchange the Pasta Roller Sheet attachment for the cutter attachment of choice, either the fettucine cutter for wider noodles or the spaghetti cutter for spaghetti or linguine. Run each sheet through the cutter. NOTE: Each sheet can be cut in half or thirds before putting through the cutter to prevent "too long" of strips. I prefer to use the longer sheets, rather than cutting them in half or thirds, as this reduces the time it takes to cut each sheet & hang to dry.
• After cutting each sheet, hang to dry on a pasta rack. Dry for a minimum of 10 minutes. If you don't have a pasta rack, plastic hangers work great! IMPORTANT: Flour the pasta rack or the plastic hangers before placing pasta on them. ALSO, separate the strips of pasta as best you can, so they aren't touching. This way they won't dry sticking together. If you want to dry the pasta for later use, dry for several hours and then store in airtight plastic bags (i.e. Ziploc Freezer or Storage Bags).
• When ready to cook, boil your water and add salt. For the 1.5 pounds of pasta, I use 2 teaspoons of salt. Oil in the water is not necessary.
• Fresh pasta will cook faster than commercially bought pasta -- about 4 to 5 minutes in vigorously boiling water for el dente.

FRESH PASTA

Steps:

• Place the cake flour, all-purpose flour, egg yolks and salt in a food processor. Pulse to combine. With the machine running, gradually add the oil then 1/3 to 1/2 cup water until the mixture forms a dough (the dough should stick together if pinched between your fingers). If necessary, add additional water, 1 teaspoon at a time if the dough is too dry.
• Place the dough on a lightly floured surface. Gather the dough into a ball and knead until the dough is smooth, 5 to 8 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Cut the dough into quarters and press flat. Run each piece of pasta dough several times through a pasta-rolling machine, adjusting the setting each time, until the pasta is about 1/8 to 1/16-inch thick. Cut the pasta into the desired shape and use as needed.

PERFECT PASTA DOUGH

Steps:

• Place the first 5 ingredients in a mixer using the paddle attachment (not dough hook).
• Gradually add the water (you may not need it all) until the dough begins to form a ball and is sticky.
• Remove and place on floured service; kneed for 4-5 minutes incorporating enough additional flour into the dough until the tackiness is gone.
• Allow to sit for 15-20 minutes.
• Cut into 6 pieces, and flatten (with roller or by hand) into a rectangular shape. Keep a dish towel over the other pieces to keep them from drying out.
• Run through the pasta machine at the widest setting 6-10 times until the dough is smooth. If one end is narrower than the other, fold the narrow end until the width evens a bit. To make linguine, I then begin narrowing the roller width step by step, sending the noodle though once on each setting, through the second thinnest setting. (Thinnest setting for spaghetti) Place on a lightly floured baking sheet and cover with another towel.
• Repeat with the remaining pieces, slightly flouring in between noodles as you stack them. If the noodles are longer than your baking sheet, cut them in half with a pastry cutter.
• Allow the noodles to sit for 10 minutes before cutting them. It usually takes me longer than 10 minutes to roll the noodles, so I flip the noodles over and start cutting the first one rolled.
• Your sheets of noodles should no longer be tacky, and should process through the cutter without sticking. If the noodles are still sticky, you may want to flour them a bit before putting them through your cutter.
• Place noodles through desired cutter and lay on baking sheet to dry for 10-20 minutes before cooking. Dust each batch with a tiny bit of flour and separate them with your fingers to ensure they don't clump.
• Place in boiling, salted water and cook until they float to the top; 5 minutes or until your desired tenderness.