Making pasta with a toddler is more of an arts and crafts project than a culinary activity. Sure, it tastes delicious and homemade, but the real prize is that the toddler is engaged and interested in something for a solid 45 minutes. Maybe I just have a hyperactive son who wants me to run around with him for most of the afternoon, but finding a project that truly interests him (other than making train tracks or building towers) is a huge score. Especially when Nana leads the charge. I had my hands free for 45 minutes AND didn’t have to make him dinner. SOLD! And I don’t even like pasta!
The homemade pasta recipe we used is from Alice Waters’ cookbook “The Art of Simple Food.”
A wonderful cookbook that has revolutionized the way Americans eat and cook.
Ingredients:
* 2 cups of flour
* 2 eggs
* 2 egg yolks
This is what the dough looks like after it is made. Admittedly not the most attractive thing in the world!
Directions:
* Mix together the two full eggs and two egg yolks (for those scoring at home, that’s 4 yolks, 2 egg whites)
* With the flour, create a well and pour in the eggs. Slowly mix all together
* Create a disc, wrap it in plastic and let it rest for at least an hour before rolling (we put it in the fridge overnight, but that is not necessary)
* Roll out the dough by hand on a lightly floured board
* Pass the dough through the machine, then make the machine tighter and tighter until the pasta is the desired thickness. Then find the type of noodle setting you want, and cut it!
Equipment needed:
* Pasta machine
Cruzzie inspecting the pasta machine.
Continue Reading →
