Pasta
The basic recipe:
6 eggs
4 c flour (2 c white, 2 c semolina, if semolina is available)
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp olive oil
mix everything but the flour well and then add to a well inside the
flour. Mix with hands. (Food processor doesn't get it
right.) Knead until smooth, adding water if necessary to get a smooth
consistency. Let rest at least 20 minutes at room temperature.
Big point - make the dough drier than you think it should be and knead for a
while.
Form with pasta maker. Freeze or cook for ~7 minutes.
Spinach pasta:
10 oz frozen spinach, defrosted and with as much water as possible squished
out of it
4 eggs
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp olive oil
4 c flour
Puree spinach, eggs, salt, and olive oil until spinach is just small
flecks. Then finish like basic recipe.
Also works with fresh spinach, fried until tender, and 1/2 whole wheat
flour. Puree spinach for a really long time because chunks make it
difficult to form.
Tomato herb pasta:
1 8oz can tomato paste
5 eggs
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp olive oil
fresh herbs (ie, a large handful of fresh basil and a handful of fresh
basil)
4 c flour
Puree herbs, eggs, tomato paste, salt, and olive oil until herbs are just
small flecks. Add mixture to flour. Finish like basic recipe.
Whole wheat pasta:
6 eggs
2 c white flour
2 c wheat flour
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp olive oil
Finish like basic recipe.
Notes: Whole wheat is easiest to form because it is driest.
Spinach is hardest because it is wettest. If you are new to pasta
making, better to cut your teeth on the basic or wheat recipes.
Used medium eggs and 1/2 whole wheat/ 1/2 white all purpose flour with the
spinach and tomato pasta and it worked GREAT. Spinach pasta actually
then took 1/2 less flour. Using whole wheat flour makes more of the
egg get absorbed. When freezing toss pasta with some excess flour to
prevent sticking.
Cook in boiling water approximately 9 minutes from frozen.