Pasta from scratch

Growing up, my mom made most everything from scratch.  She can whip up a perfect pie crust or dinner rolls in minutes.  I still do not have these skills, but I do like to try my hand at making pantry staples.

Don't get me wrong; I love jarred spaghetti sauce and frozen dinner rolls just like the next busy home cook.  But every once in a while, our reliable food friends deserve their time in the sun.  Without trying home made pasta, you can never appreciate how delicious a single noodle can really be. 

BASIC PASTA

Ingredients

• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons water

Directions

1. In a medium sized bowl, combine flour and salt. Make a well in the flour, add the slightly beaten egg, and mix. Mixture should form a stiff dough. If needed, stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons water.
2. On a lightly floured surface, knead dough for about 3 to 4 minutes. With a pasta machine or by hand roll dough out to desired thinness. Use machine or knife to cut into strips of desired width.

Notes:  Our pasta was still quite crumbly after it was kneaded.  Be patient.  Let the dough REST for 15 minutes before trying to roll it.  If you do not let it rest, your dough will not stretch into beautiful sheets.  Trust us, we made this one time and forgot.  It was a disaster.

Allrecipes also has some tips on pasta making.

Your hard work will be rewarded.