helen h.: Tasty Tuesday

If you're anything like me, you've scoffed at the couples who register for items that are, say, too specific. Are you really going to make homemade ice cream every week? Perfectly pressed paninis? Inside-out waffles? Oh, lets not forget my favorite: the meat grinder. Sometimes, aspirations of being a thorough homemaker are hard to carry to fruition...which brings me to my next point: Handmade pasta.

(thank you, kitchen heaven!)

Now before you get upset because you own AND use some of the aforementioned items, please know that I do realize that the need for such kitchen tools is quite necessary for lovers of a particular fare. As for hubby and me, that necessity is handmade pasta. Let me publicize here and now the fact that we are the proud owners and USERS of a Kitchen-Aid pasta roller attachment. Our handy attachment actually gets put to work regularly at our home. With a little foresight, you too can take a Saturday afternoon off and make a homemade Italian creation, all in the comfort of your own home.

Don't panic! Making handmade pasta is easier than you think.

Ingredients:

1 C. flour for every 1 egg (this ratio is roughly one serving)

2tbsp EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)

lots of free space on the counter

First, pour the flour on your counter (yes, on your counter, not in a container- you have 409 for later, don't worry). Next, use your fingers to shape the flour into a ring (should look donut-ish). Then, crack an egg in the middle of the flour, and use your fingers to gradually beat the yolk and stir it into the flour. Too sticky? Add more flour. Too dry? Add your EVOO.

After you arrive at what could be called a dough, roll pasta into a ball and wrap securely in seran wrap. Let sit for 15-30 minutes.

Now you're ready to roll. Don't have a pasta attachment? That's ok! I had never used one until a few months ago, you'll be fine. Roll your pasta into small, manageable, fist-size balls. Then pass through the roller. Those of you who are making it without machines (my Italian chef professor, Fabio, called machines "robots!"), use a rolling pin to get the pasta to a thickness of about 1/8". The thickness is really a personal preference. Cut your pasta into desired shape using cutting attachments, or paring knives.

If you are making specialty noodles, like ravioli, you can "stamp" out your squares quite easily with a simple $6 ravioli stamper from a kitchen supply store. Here is what it looked like when we made our ravioli last week: