LET’S MAKE PASTA!

Making pasta from scratch with your hands is a true celebration of tradition and the simplicity of food. It begins with simple ingredients – flour, eggs, perhaps a pinch of salt – and with a little time, love and patience, transforms into something magical. The tactile experience of kneading the dough allows kids to engage their senses and develop their fine motor skills. Shaping pasta dough (or any dough, for that matter) into various forms gives kids an opportunity to experiment with different shapes and sizes and involving them in the cooking process instills a sense of pride and accomplishment when they see the final product on the table. Making pasta is not only a delicious, incredibly versatile meal, it is also a memorable and educational experience for the whole family to enjoy together.

While there are many different pasta dough recipes, the simplest and arguably one of the most traditional is an egg dough. There is a general rule of thumb that when making a simple egg dough you allow 100g plain flour and one large egg per person. For example, if you were making enough homemade pasta to feed a family of four you would use 400g plain flour and four large eggs to form your pasta dough.

EGG DOUGH RECIPE

Serves 1

Ingredients:

100g plain flour

1 large free range egg

pinch of salt

EGGLESS DOUGH RECIPE

Serves 1

Ingredients:

35g semolina

65g plain flour

pinch of salt

55ml warm water

Method:

  1. Tip your flour onto a clean bench and create a well in the centre.

  2. Crack your egg into the well, or if making the eggless dough, pour your water into the well, and use a fork to gently whisk, breaking it up as you go.

  3. Begin to incorporate the flour into the egg/water until a shaggy dough is formed.

  4. Sprinkle a little salt over the dough, then use your hands to gently bring it together until a smooth dough forms. If the dough is still a little dry, add 1/2 tsp water to help bring it together.

  5. Knead the dough gently for 5-8 minutes.

  6. Shape the dough into a disc, cover completely and leave to rest on the bench top for 30 minutes. Or, if making the pasta in advance, wrap it in cling wrap and place it in the fridge to rest for up to 24 hours, making sure to bring it to room temperature before rolling out.

To make tagliatelle & fettuccine:

  1. Once ready to roll, sprinkle some plain flour over the disc of pasta dough and begin to gently roll out using your pasta machine or rolling pin. Roll your dough into an oval shape 0.5cm thick, then fold both edges in towards the centre and continue rolling. Repeat this step twice - it helps to strengthen the dough.

  2. Continue rolling your pasta until about 1-3mm thick (it should be strong and sturdy but you should be able to just see your hand through it).

  3. Sprinkle some plain flour or semolina over your rolled out dough and gently fold both ends in towards the centre. Sprinkle with a little more flour, and fold the edges in again. Then, use a sharp knife to make slices about 3mm thick (fettuccine) or 8mm thick (tagliatelle).

To make pici:

  1. Divide your dough into quarters. Working with 1/4 dough at a time use your hands to roll the dough into a long, thin sausage ~ about 20cm in length.

  2. Use a knife or dough cutter to cut the sausage of dough into smaller pieces ~ about 1.5cm each. Use your hands to then carefully roll these pieces into long, thin ‘noodle’-looking pieces - this is called pici!

To make capunti:

  1. Prepare your dough as you would in step one if you were making pici.

  2. Use a knife or dough cutter to cut the sausage of dough into smaller pieces ~ about 1.5cm each.

  3. Working with one piece of dough at a time, form the small piece of dough into an oval shape and place it on the bench in front of you. Place your three middle fingers of your preferred hand on the top of the oval-shaped piece of dough. Press your fingers down firmly and then roll the dough to wards you. Carefully remove the dough from your fingers and repeat with the remaining dough pieces - this is capunti - they should resemble empty pea pods!

To cook:

  1. When ready to cook, bring a pot of salty water to the boil (the water should be salty like the sea!).

  2. Add your fresh pasta to the boiling water and cook for 2-3 minutes or until al-dente (which means firm to the bite). Drain your pasta, reserving some of the cooking water for the pasta sauce.

LET’S MAKE PESTO!

Ingredients:

1 large bunch basil

1 clove garlic

1 tbsp pine nuts

20g Parmigiano Reggiano

1/2 tsp salt

2 tbsp good quality extra virgin olive oil + a little extra if needed

Method:

  1. Combine all ingredients, except for the extra olive oil, in a stick blender/food processor/high speed blender.

  2. Blitz until well combined. If the consistency is too dry, add a little more olive oil 1/2 tbsp at a time until you are happy. Adjust the seasoning if you need to.

Notes:

If you want to bulk up your pesto, consider adding some fresh spinach leaves or other herbs such as parsley.

To make a delicious Pesto Pasta:

Combine your freshly made pesto with your just-cooked fresh pasta and 1/3 cup pasta cooking water (this helps to thicken the sauce). Mix together well and top generously with some extra Parmigiano Reggiano.

Bon appétit!