Homemade Pasta

For Christmas '10 my sister Michele bought me a paste machine.... what a great buy!!
At the start i thought this would be a long process, but when you get into the swing of it there really isn't much to it at all. Plus the amount you can make for very little ingredients really does turn out a great money saver. A pasta machine can be bought for little over 20 Euro and trust me when i say it will pay for itself in no time! give it a go and get the kids involved... they'l love it!

Be prepared for a little tough work kneading it though as it is a very stiff dough but you only have to knead it for a few mins and the rewards will speak for themselves, plus think of toning those arms :)

Start off small like i did then when your used to it double the amount. but little really does go a very long way when put through the machine:

half this mix is about the size of a lime

this is how much it rolls out to

140g-5oz of strong flour or pasta flour
2 medium eggs- 1 whole and one yolk


Thats it people, that amount will make up a family sized lasagne etc!!

Method:


Mix the ingredients together int a mixing bowl or a food processor and mix until it resembles fine breadcrumbs (it shouldn't look wet nor too dusty)

Tip the mixture out onto a work surface and form into a ball, stick with it it will come together.

Knead the ball briskly for a minute or 2 (it will be quite stiff) and wrap in cling-film and place in fridge for 1 hour.

After the hour cut the dough in half and roll out to a 5mm thick square and put it through the paste machine at the widest setting... setting number 7. Fold it in half.

Put it through again at setting number 7 folding in half after another 5 times.

Now you can start reducing the settings however this time dont fold it over and put it through each setting only once. Repeat the process until you have reached the thinnest setting. Repeat for the second half of the dough.

If you wish to make into spaghetti you can leave it at a thicker setting (about setting number 2 or 3) and put it through the cutting end of the machine.

TIP: any dough sitting out temporarily should be covered in cling-film or a damp tea towel as it will dry out.