Homemade pasta is such a delicious and beautiful dish, one that yields a result that won't soon be forgotten. Using the most humble ingredients, you can make a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and flavors. The fresh, light taste will leave you wondering why you don't do this more often. If you find yourself spending a little more time in the kitchen these days, it's a fun activity that you can use to engage family members who may be looking for new ways to fight COVID-boredom.
Nothing complicated here: Use your hands or a food processor to make the dough. Knead for a few minutes on the countertop. Roll the dough by hand or with a simple pasta machine. Cut it free-form or use the pasta machine to roll noodles or sheets. Boil for a few short minutes. You're in heaven.
In our pasta-making workshops, we use an indestructible hand crank model but there are also brands that will fit onto your stand mixer. Our fearless leader at Catskill Animal Sanctuary, Kathy Stevens, who admittedly becomes slightly less confident in the kitchen, was amazed to see how simple the whole process was–from making the dough to eating the gorgeous and scrumptious Butternut Squash Ravioli we made that night. If you don't have or don't want to purchase a pasta machine, roll the dough on your countertop and cut rustic ribbons or ravioli by hand. Making pasta should be on your "bucket list": It's that important!
Put flours and salt in a food processor and pulse briefly to mix. Add in the fresh herbs and pulse till herbs are small flecks mixed in with flour. With motor running, drizzle in oil and then the water. Continue to process for another minute or so. When the flour clumps together, it’s ready. Pinch and press dough together with your fingers, it should stick together, but not be wet.
Remove dough from processor and knead for about 5 minutes on a lightly floured surface until smooth. It should not be sticky when you’re done.
Let dough rest for at least 30 minutes, wrapped in plastic, then roll into desired thickness and shapes or pass through pasta machine. If you’re using a pasta machine, like the one pictured in the main large photo at the top of the page, cut your dough into pieces and roll so that it’s a few inches wide, wide enough to pass through the pasta machine.
Put flours and salt in a food processor and pulse briefly to mix. Add in the fresh herbs and pulse till herbs are small flecks mixed in with flour. With motor running, drizzle in oil and then the water. Continue to process for another minute or so. When the flour clumps together, it’s ready. Pinch and press dough together with your fingers, it should stick together, but not be wet.
Remove dough from processor and knead for about 5 minutes on a lightly floured surface until smooth. It should not be sticky when you’re done.
Let dough rest for at least 30 minutes, wrapped in plastic, then roll into desired thickness and shapes or pass through pasta machine. If you’re using a pasta machine, like the one pictured in the main large photo at the top of the page, cut your dough into pieces and roll so that it’s a few inches wide, wide enough to pass through the pasta machine.
