I've been playing with my new toy lately! The
Marcato Atlas 150 pasta machine that my husband bought me for my birthday! My husband and I have so much fun making pasta together.
Just the other day, my husband was saying, "You know you're getting old, when you're more excited about making pasta than going out!" :)
Anyway, have you made fresh pasta before? It is so super easy! It's yummy too! There's nothing bad about eating dry packet pasta! But now that I know how simple it is to make fresh pasta at home, that's what I've been doing since!
Basics - for every 100g of "00" flour, you need 1 egg, feeds 2 people (average portion)
You need to use 00 flour because it is higher in protein, it is different to plain flour. When making pasta, you need to develop the gluten, that's where the 00 flour comes into play.
Come, let me show you how!
1- Put the flour in a bowl, make a well in the centre, crack your eggs in it. Mix it with your hands until combined.
2 - Pour dough onto a lightly floured surface, knead until the dough comes together. The dough will not be sticky, it will have a very nice pliable consistency.
3 - Once ready, divide your pasta dough into 2. Put through each dough into your pasta machine. My pasta machine setting starts with '0' - thickest. Roll your pasta dough through the machine without any flour. Make sure to change the machine setting a number at a time. Don't be tempted to rush it and jump a few numbers. It will cause the pasta dough to crack. Roll the pasta dough through the machine until your desired thickness. I roll mine until '7'. We cut our rolled pasta with a knife, because it gets very long in length.
4 - Our pasta machine comes in 2 cutters, the Fettuccine and Angel spaghetti. Our favourite is the Fettuccine one.
5 - Once you've cut the pasta into your desired shape, remove from pasta machine and quickly sprinkle some flour onto your pasta to ensure it doesn't clump up together, set aside to cook soon. No resting time required.
6 - Or you could dry your pasta on a pasta rack or as you can see we used a hanger, because we did not have a pasta rack. Only use this method if you're not going to cook your fresh pasta shortly. Store in seal ziplock or somewhere air-tight until ready to use. Use no later than the next day!
7 - Before you cook your pasta, make sure that your sauce is ready. So, time to cook, make sure your water is boiled. Add salt, it should be as salty as the sea. Add your pasta, boil until al dente, cooks in under 5 minutes. Mix it into your pasta sauce. Serve!
I have made my own version of Black Pepper Chilli Cream Sauce! This version is for people who don't usually eat the creamy version, like me. The chilli and black pepper flavours are really pronounced in this dish.
All you need:
(from L-R)
2 anchovies (soaked in oil) not pictured (you can omit this, just use regular oil)
500g mushrooms
1 large onion
300ml thickened cream
500g shredded ham
150g diced bacon
1 tablespoon dried basil
seas salt (to taste)
chilli flakes (to taste)
cracked black pepper (to taste)
All you need to do:
1 - Heat up pan, pour some oil from the anchovies, add in anchovies, fry until it's all mushed up. You can't really taste the anchovies in this dish. Add onions and bacon. Fry it until onions become translucent and bacon browns.
2 - Add mushrooms, sauté until all liquid evaporates. Mushrooms will shrink. Cook in pan uncovered.
3 - Add ham, stir fry. Add cream, dried basil, salt, chilli flakes, cracked black pepper. I add loads of chilli flakes and black pepper. Heat up cream. Mix in pasta and make sure that all ingredients are well mixed.
4 - Serve!
Buon Appetito! :)