Nothing compares to the aroma and flavour of fresh homemade pasta! I prepared classic spaghetti to celebrate World’s Pasta Day on 25th October a couple of weeks ago. Take note of this easy recipe for a comfort bowl of homemade spaghetti.
Recipe
How much time do you need?
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes approx.
Total time: 40 minutes
Tools / material:
Pasta rolling pin or pasta maker
Bowls
Bench scraper
Pasta cuter or a sharp knife
Kitchen scale
Ingredients: 2 serves
150 gr all-purpose flour (type ‘00’ is preferred)
50 gr semolina flour
2 eggs + 1 yolk
Pinch of salt
More flour for dusting
Method:
Sift both flours on work surface. Scoop a hole in the centre and pour in slightly beaten eggs.
Add a pinch of salt and start mixings all ingredients using a fork or a dough scraper until a crumbly dough forms. Continue to knead the dough with your hands until the dough is smooth, elastic and no longer sticky. Add a pinch of flour if it’s too wet, it should not be sticky. Wrap the dough in a plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes.
Rolling the dough:
Once the dough has rested for 30 minutes, cut off a piece of the dough and slightly flatten it with your fingers. For 200grs of flour I usually process the dough in batches of 100grs so I'll cut half of the dough.
Sprinkle the pasta ball slightly with flour.
If you are using a rolling pin, stretch the dough until it's 1-2mm thick.
If using a pasta machine, set machine on the widest setting (0) and pass the dough for the first time. Be careful not to insert a sticky or too wet dough in the pasta maker… it will be a nightmare! Always dust some extra flour on the dough so it goes smoothly through the rollers. Fold the dough in half and pass again on the same setting, repeat up to 4 times. You are basically kneading the dough; it will become smoother and the colour will distribute evenly. Adjust to the next-narrower setting and continue making the sheet thinner, until you reach thickness of approx. 1 mm or position 5-6 on the pasta maker.
Prepare the spaghetti:
Change the accessory for the spaghetti cutter and process the pasta sheets. If you don’t have a pasta maker, dust some flour on each pasta sheet, roll it like a log and then cut slices of approx. 1-2 mm.
If you want to use the pasta sheets to make stuffed/filled pasta, simply separate some sheets and cut the dough as you like.
Tip: Remember that you can always freeze uncooked pasta which is practical for a quick meal preparation. Do not thaw the pasta. Cook it frozen, directly from the fridge.
Cooking:
10 min in salted boiling water (10gr salt per litre).
Sauce options: any tomato base sauce would go well with the spaghetti. Just butter or cream are also perfect, and a pinch of black pepper and parmesan cheese to finish.
Storage tips: up to a 1 week as dried pasta in an airtight container (room temperature below 20 degrees C), 3 days as fresh pasta in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer (fresh or dried)
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