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How to Make and Store Your Own Pasta

Pasta, Store Bought

Ever wondered how the dried pasta and macaroni sold in stores is made? Maybe you even thought about making some at home, but decided that it would be too hard? If so, read on; homemade pasta is really quite simple and easy to make, plus it has a much better flavor and is also better for you than the store bought variety. It does not have quite as long of a shelf life, however; this is because it does not have the additives and preservatives that the store bought pastas have in them.

Pasta is made up of flour, eggs and liquid; it can also be spiced up or flavored by the addition of dried or fresh herbs and spices to make a new and delicious experience. Lets start out with a couple of basic pasta recipes, and then you can alter them to make new versions that your family is sure to enjoy.

Basic Homemade Pasta Dough:

Ingredients:

2 1/3 cup flour (all purpose works best)
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons Olive or Canola oil
1/3 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)

Directions:

In a medium size bowl, combine 2 cups of the flour and salt. In another smaller bowl, beat the eggs. Add the water and oil to the eggs, stirring to combine. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture, and add the egg mixture to it. Stir to combine; note mixture will be thick.

Lightly flour a clean surface with the remaining 1/3 cup of flour. Turn the dough out onto the floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic – about 10 minutes. Next, cover the dough with a clean towel and let it rest undisturbed for 10 minutes. Divide the dough into 4 equal portions and roll out each into a large rectangle, approximately 1/8 inch thick (or less). Allow the rolled out dough to rest for 20 minutes uncovered.

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Starting on the longest side of the rectangle, loosely roll the dough up as if you were making a jelly roll. Next, with a very sharp knife cut the rolled up dough into small strips – about 3/4 inch wide to make basic noodles or wider to make lasagna noodles. Then unroll the strips of pasta. They can either be hung to dry, placed on a pasta rack, or dried in a dehydrator. If hanging the pasta to dry (or using a pasta rack) allow it to dry for at least 1 hour.

It can then be used immediately or stored in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Homemade Egg Noodles:

Ingredients:

2 cups flour (all purpose works best)
2 egg yolks (beaten)
1 beaten egg
1/3 cup water
1 teaspoon olive or canola oil
1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)

Directions:

In a medium bowl, mix 1 3/4 cups of the flour and the salt. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. In a small bowl, beat the egg yolks, and the egg. Add water and oil to the eggs, stirring to combine. Pour egg mixture into the well in the flour, and stir to combine. Dough will be stiff.

Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of flour onto a clean surface and turn the pasta dough out onto it. Knead the dough until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Cover the pasta dough with a clean towel and let it rest, undisturbed, for 10 minutes. Divide the dough into 4 equal portions, and roll each portion out into a large rectangle approximately 1/16 inch thick. Let the rolled out dough stand, uncovered, for 20 minutes.

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Loosely roll up the dough, starting from the widest side, as if you were making a jelly roll. Cut the dough into 1 inch wide strips and then shake them gently to separate. Cut the strips into 2 to 3 inch long noodles. Dry the pasta either by hanging it (plastic coat hangers work well for this), placing the pasta on a pasta rack, or into a dehydrator for at least 1 hour. The pasta can then either be cooked immediately, stored in the refrigerator for 3 days, or stored in air tight containers in the freezer for up to 6 months.

To spice up your basic pasta recipes try adding either dried or fresh herbs and spices to taste. Lemon pepper and a bit of garlic and onion powder mixed into the flour and salt mixture makes a wonderful lemony flavored pasta. Likewise dill, onion, and chives also combine to make a great tasting homemade pasta. Mix and match to make your own personal favorites! It is easy to alter the basic recipe to fit your family’s tastes.

When drying homemade pasta to store in the freezer, it works better to use a dehydrator. The final product will resemble the pastas that are sold in stores. It will be dry and brittle, though and will break easily. This is the reason that it stores better in the freezer, however. If the pasta is simply hung to dry for an hour, it will stick together when you freeze it and will not cook properly.

To dry homemade pasta in a dehydrator, load the dehydrator racks heavily, but do not allow the pasta to touch. Allow it to dry for at least 12 hours. Once it has dried, remove it from the dehydrator and store in air tight containers or freezer bags. It can then be placed in the freezer for storage for up to 6 months.

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The most important thing to remember when cooking your homemade pasta is that it does not take as long to cook as store bought pasta will. Fettuccine will cook in about 2 to 3 minutes in briskly boiling water! Just remember to keep a close eye on it once you begin cooking the pasta so that it does not get too done and turn to mush. Why not try out one of these easy homemade pasta recipes tonight? They are easy to make, healthy, and delicious!