Pasta, is known for its remarkable flexibility. With variety of shapes and sizes, ranging from spaghetti and penne to fusilli and farfalle, pasta offers endless possibilities for creating diverse dishes. Its versatility stems from its ability to work well with a wide range of sauces, meats, and vegetables. Whether it's a bowl of spaghetti with marinara sauce, a creamy fettuccine Alfredo, or a pasta salad bursting with fresh ingredients, pasta serves as the perfect base to showcase flavors and textures.
Pasta is not only a main dish, consider a flavorful pasta as a side.
Despite what you may have been taught, boil pasta in salted water and do not add oil. Coating with oil will prevent your sauce from clinging to the pasta.
Boil only until the pasta is Al Denté “to the tooth.” You don't want pasta to be soft and weak, rather it should hold its structure.
So what makes up pasta?
So at its most basic, pasta is made with flour, eggs, salt and water.
I feel the best pasta has the addition of olive oil.
Let's break it down..
Flour
Generally all-purpose flour. But, replacing ½ the flour with bread flour makes the dough easier to roll. Flour provides the structure.
Eggs
Whole eggs provide color and richness to the dough.
Water
The proper amount of water is essential. Without the correct amount the pasta can be dry and not hold together or require additional flour if too “wet.” Because of this it is not added all at one time.
Olive oil
In small amounts can help the dough adhere to itself making it easier for rolling and cutting.
Let's face it, it would be nice to have the time to always make fresh, but that's really not realistic is it?
There is nothing wrong with dried pasta, it's reliable and a time saver.
The benefit of fresh over dry pasta is the ability to add flavorings to the dough for both taste and color. It's not uncommon to add spinach, tomatoes, or a pepper purée, or fresh herbs and pepper.
If you would like to try making fresh pasta, here is a very basic recipe.
Makes 1 ½ lb fresh pasta:
1 lb AP Flour or half AP/Bread flour
5-6 whole eggs
1 tsp Salt
1 tblsp olive oil
Water on the side (you may add a tblsp at a time if needed.
On a large cutting board or on your counter, place your flour. Make a well in it and pour in your eggs.
With a fork, beat up the eggs, and add the oil and salt.
Form a ball with the dough. Assess if it is too dry and falling apart. If it needs more moisture, add a tablespoon of the water to the board and knead it into the dough. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and rest it for 10 minutes.
Now, you need to knead the dough 5-7 minutes. Using the heels of your hands knead it forward, lap the back over and continue kneading this way. The dough will be stiff for the first couple of minutes , but will soften up as you go. When the dough has become malleable, you should be able to dimple it with your finger and it will spring back. Roll it into a ball and cover for 30 minutes.
Now you can roll the dough out on a well floured surface to the thickness you prefer and cut into the shape you want (you can also use a pasta machine).
Cooking fresh pasta is different that dry pasta. Depending on the thickness, it will cook in 2-7 minutes. Be careful not to overcook.
Want to freeze it? Let the pasta dry for 30 minutes uncovered, then place in a zip-lock bag and freeze for up to 2 weeks.