One dish that everyone who enjoys cooking should know is pasta. Pasta making is a craft that may seem daunting at first, and it is tempting to reach for the trusty Barilla box in your pantry, but once you make your own fresh pasta there is never going back. It can be tricky your first few times making it, but once you master the craft you can see that it’s not that difficult and is a real showstopper when trying to impress guests.  It has only four ingredients: flour, salt, eggs, and water. These ingredients are in virtually anyone’s kitchen and it only takes about an hour and a half from start to finish. 

One recommendation I have for you is to instead of using all-purpose flour, switch that out with semolina flour which can be found at most Italian grocery stores, I personally get mine at Iavarone. It may cost a few dollars extra, but the semolina gives it that nice rich yellow color and really improves the texture of the pasta because it creates a more elastic and malleable dough. Another tip would be to purchase a pasta machine which makes the process go by quicker and you get more even strands of pasta. However, if you don’t have one or want to purchase one, the traditional rolling pin and muscle do the job as well.

 Everyone should give pasta-making at least one shot in their lifetime and it could be a fun activity with friends! If you have a pasta party, you could all work together on making the pasta from scratch and then bring different sauces to try together and vote on the best!

Ingredients:

400 grams of flour (semolina is optional but recommended)

4 large eggs 

Salt to taste 

Directions 

1. Put the flour on a well-cleaned kitchen counter and form it into the shape of a nest. In the well in the center of the flour, add the lightly beaten eggs and the salt.
2. Start blending the mixture together with a fork, slowly adding the flour from the outer edges of the nest into the center until all of it is well incorporated.
3. After the flour-egg mixture is completely incorporated, cover the counter and your hands with a sprinkling of flour. Knead the dough for approximately 15 minutes until it is about the consistency of modeling clay.
4. Form the dough into a ball and wrap with plastic wrap and chill for around 30 minutes.
5. After chilling, plop the dough onto a clean surface dusted with semolina flour (again, to prevent sticking) and divide it into two even pieces. Sprinkle more flour on your counter and on a rolling pin. Flatten the dough ball with the rolling pin (or with a pasta maker if you have one available).
6. Roll the dough with the pin or run it through a pasta machine until it becomes your desired thickness. Set aside and do the same with the other half. Then let the dough rest for another 10 minutes.
7. Slice the pasta into thin strips or into shapes suitable for ravioli or other types of noodles. Dust the finished noodles with flour and hang them until they are semi-dry. Once they are partially dry, you can freeze them or store them for up to four days in the refrigerator.