Adventures in Pasta Making

Guys, I'm on a pasta making kick! Trey got me the KitchenAid pasta attachments for my birthday last month, and I have been playing around with them ever since. I really wanted to learn to make fresh pasta this year. It's been on my mind for a while, but I always felt a little intimidated to get started. I figured it would be sort of hard and that my first few batches would probably be flops. So I prepared myself for that mentally. (Yes, I psych myself up for kitchen things.)But it turns out that making pasta from scratch isn't all that difficult. I was surprised that my first attempt turned out really good, and it was delicious! That was actually the first time I had ever eaten fresh pasta too. Double win that night. :) I learned how to make pasta from Martha Stewart's Cooking School. The book has a great step-by-step guide to making pasta dough. Honestly it's a really wonderful book for anyone looking to develop all sorts of basic kitchen skills. I'm a fan.After I started to feel comfortable with the process I started making up my own little variations. I really wanted to add flavors to my pasta doughs (and color!). For regular pasta dough, I mix up 2 cups flour, 2 large eggs and a teaspoon of olive oil. For beet pasta, I used 2 cups flour, 1 large egg, 1 teaspoon olive oil and 2 1/2 tablespoons fresh beet juice. For spinach pasta I used 2 cups flour, 1 large egg 1 teaspoon olive oil and 2 1/2 tablespoons fresh spinach juice. Elsie let me borrow her juicer so I could make my vegetable juices, but you could also buy vegetable juice. I like to mix my dough in a bowl until it's a crumbly mess. Then I turn the dough out onto a floured counter and knead together for 4-6 minutes. Then you let the dough rest for 20 to 30 minutes (be sure to cover it so it doesn't dry out too much). I have also made dough the night before, put it in a ziplock bag and store it in the refrigerator overnight. This works great but be sure to allow the chilled dough to sit out on the counter for 45 minutes to an hour before working with it again so it can warm up a bit. Cold dough doesn't stretch well, just like cold muscles. (Yeah, I know about that.)Divide each dough ball into two pieces and roll out into an oval. Feed the dough through the pasta roller set at 1. You can also roll pasta dough out by hand using a rolling pin.Once you feed the dough through once fold it (as pictured above). Now feed it through the pasta roller set at 1 again (or roll by hand again). Feed the dough through the pasta roller at each level (1, 2, 3...) until you get to 5. I stopped at 5, because I was making fettuccine. If you are making a thinner pasta, like ravioli, you may need to go a few more steps. Check your manual if you are a newbie like me.Once you have your long thin giant pasta noodle you are ready to change your attachment. I put on the fettuccine attachment. You can also cut pasta by hand using a pizza cutter. Feed the dough through the cutter and catch it as your fresh pasta comes out the other side.Drape your finished pasta on a drying rack. I like to go through all the steps with one pasta dough ball, keeping the other covered, so it doesn't dry out while I work. Once your pasta has been on the drying rack for few minutes it will begin to dry out. Duh. You can cook it or roll it into little pasta nests to save for later in the day. I bet you want to see my ultra fancy pasta drying rack, huh?Gotcha! I don't have a fancy drying rack. I needed one in a pinch, I realized, so I use a cheap wooden clothes drying rack. Sort of funny I guess but it works well for me, and I can just fold it up and store it away when I'm not making pasta. So I think I'll just keep at it. You cook fresh pasta the same way you do store bought dry pasta expect that it takes slightly less time. I cooked this fettuccine in boiling salted water for 6-7 minutes and it was ready to serve. The best is to just taste and see if your pasta is done. What's fun about these pastas is that the dough is really colorful and contains very concentrated vegetable juices, but they don't have an overt vegetable taste. They are delicious, and I am pretty sure they could still pass a picky eaters taste test. Unless the picky eater hates colors. Poor color-hating picky eater.

Thanks for letting me share my current kitchen obsession with you. xo. Emma

Comments

[Monica]

I love the beautiful colors of pasta achieved with concentrated vegetable juice. I was sure it was food coloring, but this pasta just couldn't get any more natural/homemade! Good job Emma :)

M.

[Rachel]

Spinach pasta is my favorite because you get all the good stuff without any bad taste!

[Angelica]

this is great! my grandmother used to make her pasta from scratch, but i was always too intimidated to try. i love your tattoo!

[Carlee]

This looks awesome! Making fresh and homemade ingredients is definitely the way to go. You are such a food inspiration Emma.
Carlee
http://almostendearing.blogspot.com/

[Melle Coccinelle]

my grandma was doing pasta using similar machine but with "power" coming from hands ;)
colorful pasta looks great!

[Sarah Kyle (Lady Go Lightly)]

These colors are gorgeous!

[melissa ahamad]

I would be huge if I had one of those pasta tools. By the way love the pasta colors!

Melissa
Http://shakeshakee.blogspot.com

Http://etsy.com/shop/hexnailjewelry

[Julia]

I love making pasta myself! It's a lot of work but it's totally worth it and tastes even better. I made my own ravioli for christmas and everybody loved them :)
xo Julia

[Allyson]

I kind of want to try this if only for the fun colors! And of course, the photo op. :)
http://allysonwonderlandphotography.com/

[Jo]

These look great, I love the vibrancy of the colours. I've never eaten fresh pasta either, I'm really wanting to try some now!

[Diana]

It's great that you make pasta yourself! These look so delicious!

[tara]

So awesome!! Making homemade pasta is on my birthday list of things to do before I turn 28. These look so gorgeous!

Love the drying rack :)

[Danielle]

Hi Emma,
I'm a college student and have been following A Beautiful Mess for a year now, but this is my first post! I grew up in a big Italian family and pasta is a family tradition for me :) Your pasta looks beautiful; just like my Nonna's. You and Elsie are so creative and have a wonderful sister-bond, I really admire you both.

[Lulu]

Omg! I've always wanted to make my own pasta and you've made it look super easy. I'd love to one day own a kitchenaid too! Thank for sharing dear! :)

Lulu xx

http://luluslittlewonderland.blogspot.com

[Jessica]

Colorful pasta? Oh how I wish I had the equipment for making these :) http://plantingloveseeds.blogspot.ca/

[Megan]

Interesting. Now I really want a pasta roller!

[Eva]

I still have to test my pasta machine. This looks so great, I think I'm going to try it tomorrow ;) xx

www.creativityandchocolate.blogspot.com

[Denisa]

Oo, that looks so yummy. I am big fan of Italy food but I newer try to do pasta myself. Looks great. Have a nice monday.

http://www.fashiondenis.com/

[Petra]

Looks delicious! I definitely have to try this out.

[Katie]

I've never made pasta myself, but I may have to try one day!
Katie xx
http://thegravityandshe.blogspot.co.uk