Homemade Pasta

I usually make fresh pasta for Spaghetti Carbonara, Chicken Parmesan, and Fettuccine Alfredo. Because Carbonara and Fettuccine Alfredo are such simple dishes, the fresh pasta takes center stage. Alfredo is one of America's favorite Italian inspired dinners, and there's no way you can do this dish justice out of a jar or packet. The nice thing about homemade pasta is you only need three ingredients: flour, eggs, and salt. So dust off that old pasta machine, or ask for one for your birthday, because dried pasta just can't match up. 

Nothing makes me feel like an old Italian lady quite like kneading dough, and cranking it through my pasta machine; it takes a lot of elbow grease and patience, but it's so worth the work! I always pour a glass of vino, play some Frank Sinatra, and burn a few candles to really enjoy the experience.

Homemade Pasta

Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups flour
5 eggs
tsp salt

Directions:

Form a well with your flour, (I use an ice cream scoop to make the well). Carefully add the eggs to your well, and salt the eggs. With a fork carefully stir the flour into the eggs. By the time your well brakes, you should have a pretty silky runny dough. Then, trying not to make a mess, incorporate the left over flour with the silky egg dough. The dough will be firm, and tough, and you'll have to knead it at the end to get it all incorporated. Now use a rolling pin, then cut the dough into strips to fit it into your pasta machine.

After you've transformed your dough into noodles make sure to flour them or they will stick together and you'll have to start over (I know I've done that).

Boil for 3 to 4 minutes in salted water. Test a noodle to make sure they're at your desired level of doneness.