Today I was planning to post crab ravioli (yep, local crabs are still in season), but then – oops! - I remembered that I hadn’t posted pasta dough recipe yet. First things first: I’ll give you several varieties of my pasta dough and then proceed to ravioli and other pasta formats.
Why on Earth make your own pasta, you may ask. Especially, if you can go to any farmer’s market these days and buy a variety of good quality homemade pasta. Why “homemake” it if somebody can “homemake” it for you for a reasonable price.
My simple answer is that pasta making is a fun activity. I absolutely and thoroughly enjoy every step of it, from kneading the dough to rolling pasta sheets, to filling ravioli squares or cutting fettuccine, to making a sauce and “marrying” it with cooked pasta, to an occasional slurping sound while eating it, to a table discussion how egg pasta is different from the eggless one, to the satisfaction that these very hands besides tapping on a computer keyboard can do something real and quite delicious.
Pasta making is even better fun if you do it in a company. We held a pasta making party once and even in our small kitchen, constantly bumping on each other, we had a blast.
Long story short, if you’re one of those crazy I-love-to-make-it-from-scratch people, then you’re my soul mate and these recipes are for you.
I’ll start with my favorite Eggless Pasta Dough. It’s less traditional, but no less delicious than pasta made with eggs/egg yolks and will fit a diet of vegans and those allergic to eggs. And - a bonus! - you will be safe from “what the heck to do with those egg whites” dilemma.
Keep in mind that eggless pasta is, as a rule, softer than the one made with eggs, and is more prone to become mushy when overcooked.
You will need:
- 1.5 cup semolina flour
- 1.5 cup unbleached bread flour or all purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 Tbsp olive oil + 1 tsp for oiling the dough
- 1 cup water (plus 1-2 Tbsp if needed)
Traditionally, pasta dough is made on a board or right on a kitchen counter. I find it easier to start the dough in a bowl and then transfer it to a board/table for kneading.
Stir both types of flour and salt in a bowl and make a deep well in the center.
Put the liquid ingredients – water and oil
- into the well and swirl them to combine with your fingers or a fork. Making
wider and wider circles swirl the flour into the water and oil mixture. When
all the flour gets incorporated, transfer the dough onto a floured board or counter
and start kneading.
If the dough is too soft and sticky, add more flour. If it’s too thick, dry and doesn’t hold well together, add just a bit of water or wet your hands with water when kneading. Avoid overwatering pasta dough. If it becomes too soft, it will bloat too much during cooking and its texture may turn out mushy.
Knead the dough until it becomes smooth and elastic, about 7-10 minutes. Don’t skip kneading because it’s crucial in promoting gluten development, which makes the dough stretchy, firm and smooth.
To check the doneness, press the dough with your finger. If the imprint stays deep, knead the dough several more minutes and check again. If it springs back readily, the kneading part is over.
Shape the dough into a ball, smear all over with olive oil and wrap in plastic. Let it rest at room temperature for at least half an hour. If you are not going to use it right away, put it into a refrigerator. You can keep it there for 2-3 days. Just let it warm up to room temperature before rolling and cutting it.
And here's more traditional pasta dough made with eggs.
Basic Egg Pasta Dough:
- 3 large eggs
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 cup of Semolina flour
- 1 cup of all-purpose or bread flour
- 2 Tbsp of olive oil + 1 tsp for oiling the dough
- About 1 tsp salt
- A splash or two of water if the dough is too thick
This dough is made exactly the same way as the eggless one, so follow the same steps.
Notes:
- If you prefer softer dough, use more egg yolks than whites or only egg yolks.
- In addition to regular flour, you can use whole wheat, rye or buckwheat flour. Just make sure you don’t use them alone as they have very low gluten content.
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