DIY Fresh Pasta!

Over the last year, while a lot of us have had more time on our hands, we offered up some simple DIY recipes to enjoy with your family at home — from pizza and hummus to hazelnut chocolate spread and tomato sauce. 

And what good is tasty tomato sauce without fresh pasta to gobble it down with?

That’s why, this month, we’re serving up pasta you can make in a snap, right in your kitchen, without any fancy gadgets. All you’ll need are flour, eggs, olive oil, salt, a knife, a rolling pin, and a little love.  

Here goes…

·       Place 2 ½ cups (625 ml) of all-purpose flour into a large bowl.

·       Make a well in the center large enough for 4 eggs.

·       Break your eggs and add a tablespoon (15 ml) of olive oil.

·       Use a fork to lightly beat the eggs and oil, then gradually stir outward, mixing them the flour. As the dough thickens, you’ll need to use your fingers then your whole hands to mix.

·       Place the ball of dough on a floured surface and knead it for 10 minutes until it becomes smooth and elastic. If you’re finding the dough getting sticky, no problem, just sprinkle in some more flour and keep kneading. If you have a mixer with a dough hook, knead it for 7 minutes.

·       Let the ball of dough rest for 30 minutes.

·       With a rolling pin, roll out the dough very thin and cut into long strips – ½” wide for pappardelle, 3/8” for tagliatelle or ¼” for fettuccine.

And presto! You’ve got pasta. Bring a pot of salted water to boil, add in your fresh noodles and cook for one to three minutes then serve with your DIY sauce.

For another simple pasta-making recipe, click here. 

Have you made your own pasta or have tips for the Shop Talk community? Share your pasta secrets – we always appreciate hearing from you!

Did you know? How did pasta enter the Italian diet?

Trivia buffs will tell you pasta was invented by the Chinese and introduced to Italians in the 13^th century by Marco Polo. But historian John Dickie says that’s falso! According to Dickie, North Africans likely introduced itriyaa – long thin strands of dried dough that were cooked by boiling – into Sicily in the 12^th century and the island became a major producer of this proto-spaghetti. By Marco Polo’s time, Italians were already in love with pasta. (Source)