Fresh Pasta Dough
In light of authorities telling everyone to remain calm, the grocery store is again looking like a war zone. I went shopping last night for the essentials - eggs, butter, wine, and cheese - when I noticed that not only is all the toilet paper gone but so are the boxes of pasta that once lined the shelves. Rather than panic purchase more pasta, I turned to my own kitchen and made a batch of spinach dough. Its easy, affordable and the perfect activity for when you’re social distancing but want those noods.
The recipe is for a basic dough and if you don’t have a pasta roller, do not despair or impulse buy one. You can make fresh pasta without a rolling machine just as easily. If this is you, go with a shape like cavatelli. Below is a quick video on how to make cavatelli at home.
EDIT: If, like me, you get to the store to find that all the eggs are gone, know that you can still make pasta without the eggs. Substitute the eggs for 3/4 cup of water and follow the rest of the instructions below!
Fresh Pasta Dough
Ingredients
2 whole eggs
4 egg yolks
2 tablespoons olive oil
hefty pinch of salt
2½ cups flour
Directions
In a large bowl, stir the eggs, yolks, olive oil and salt until evenly mixed. Add the flour and stir with a rubber spatula until the dough comes together into a sticky ball.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. With floured hands, kneed the dough until a firm, smooth ball is formed. About 8 minutes. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes.
Cut the dough into eighths and toss lightly with flour. Press each wedge flat and roll with a rolling pin, shaping into small discs. Feed the dough discs through the pasta roller. Start at the widest setting and roll until the dough is thin but still sturdy, “5” on most machines.
Trim the edges of the dough so you are working with a uniform rectangle. Fold the dough in half twice and cut into 1/2 inch ribbons. Dust the noodles with cornmeal and set aside.
Spinach Pasta Dough
To make spinach pasta dough, use the recipe above but substitute 2 tablespoons pureed spinach for 1 whole egg. Follow the rest of the directions, adding more flour as necessary.
