Recipe: Homemade Pasta Dough Recipes and Tips

Here are some recipes and information shared in previous postings.

Posted to Recipelink.com by Linda Pestes on 2/07/98:
When I made pasta in my hand machine, the mix was about 1 cup flour to 1 egg....try using "Semolina" flour...it is much easier to work with. Also, make sure you knead the dough enough..ie, mix it, put it through the sheet setting, fold once, put through again...I usually did it 6 or 7 times, then slowly, one setting at a time to finest setting before doing a fettuccini cut or w.h.y. For variations, try adding a bit of spice/herbs like rosemary, basil, tarragon & thyme to get a nice mix, or about 1/2 ounce of sundried tomato....really nice flavor.

Posted to Recipelink.com by: Char/ca on November 2nd 1998:
A hand crank pasta machine is easy to use and to clean. My directions said never to wash it, but I do wipe the outside surfaces with a damp sponge if it gets sticky. Any pasta which sticks where you can't reach dries (just like it would if you put it on a pasta rack) and you can then shake it or pop it off. A stiff vegetable brush is helpful for that.

Make pasta dough according to your favorite recipe (I'll add one below). After kneading, use the machine's widest setting to start rolling the dough. For a recipe based on about 2 cups of flour, you'll want to cut it into 4 pieces. Flatten each piece a little, and roll it through that widest setting. Then fold the strip in thirds, and send it through the widest setting again. You'll do this maybe 8-10 times or so, until the dough feels nice and smooth. You may need to sprinkle the piece lightly with flour from time to time as you are rolling, to keep it from sticking.

Then, change the rollers to the next widest setting and feed the dough through. Keep rolling the dough strip through, setting the rollers closer each time, till the dough is as thin as you want for your recipe. (Usually, I have to cut the strip in half part way through or it gets too long to handle easily). Let the strips dry for a few minutes. Then put in your cutting blade and feed each strip through (or cut by hand into the size noodles you want). You may want to sprinkle the cutting blade lightly with flour especially for thin noodles so they don't stick and tear.

Here's a food processor recipe for a plain all purpose pasta dough (use it for fettuchini, lasagne, raviolis etc):
Put 2 cups flour and 2 large eggs in processor with metal blade, and process a few seconds till it looks like cornmeal. With the motor running pour 4 Tbsp water through the feed tube. It should soon form a ball. If it's crumbly add a little extra water or if it's sticky a little extra flour. Let it process till the food processor slows or till the dough balls up around the blade. Turn it out on a floured board and knead a bit till it's nice and smooth (if it balls up in the processor you can let it go 'round and 'round and eliminate most or even all of the hand kneading). Then just start rolling it as above in your pasta machine.

You can dry your noodles by hanging them over a clean broom handle balanced across a couple of chairs, or on baking sheets coated lightly with flour. But I like 'em fresh, or I freeze the uncooked but still pliable noodles. My philosophy is you can BUY great dried noodles but if you're going to go to the work of making your own, cook 'em fresh! (Also, I think dried noodles are better made with semolina flour, whereas fresh ones are really better with all purpose flour).

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4 EGG PASTA
From: Linda/Midland on February 2nd 1999

3 cups flour
4 eggs
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp lukewarm water

I mix these ingredients in my food processor until it looks
like small b-b's.

Wrap dough in a damp cloth and let sit for 1/2 hour.

(If you do not have a pasta machine, they are well worth it. I have a Marcota Atlas 150. You can get them through a trading post/supply store. Very reasonably priced.)

ROLLING DOUGH OUT THROUGH A...:

PASTA MACHINE:
Run through large setting fold in thirds and run
3 - 4 more times then start to decrease your setting to the desired
thickness -- we like them a little thicker just so they don't fall
apart from being so thin. My grandmother would roll her dough up
and hand slice at angles for her chicken noodle soup.

BY HAND:
Roll your dough out, fold and then roll again. Do this three
more times or until your hands get tired. Roll and cut at an angle or
slice long and slender.

Cook in boiling salted water immediately or dry and freeze in zip
lock bags for later. To dry set two chairs a part and put a dowel rod
between to hang pasta on.

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25 Pasta Dough Recipes

22 Ravioli Recipes

22 Ravioli Recipes