# Fresh Pasta Favorite?



## kadesma (Feb 12, 2010)

I will be trying my hand at both spinach and red bell pepper pasta tomorrow. DH bought me a new machine and motor today yippee..
What is your favorite recipe for pasta?
kadesma


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## wanna be (Feb 13, 2010)

*Let us know how it works.*

I have been wanting a pasta machine for a long time.The only pasta I have ever made is egg noodles.I dont even know if that is considerd pasta.That is a pretty forgiving noodle. I think variations in the thickness,width and length give it alot of character.I cant think of any other pasta you could say that about.I am curious to hear how it works out for you.


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## kadesma (Feb 13, 2010)

wanna be said:


> I have been wanting a pasta machine for a long time.The only pasta I have ever made is egg noodles.I dont even know if that is considerd pasta.That is a pretty forgiving noodle. I think variations in the thickness,width and length give it alot of character.I cant think of any other pasta you could say that about.I am curious to hear how it works out for you.


They are pasta and I love egg noodles. I feel egg yolks make a rich pasta..I am goin to use use one egg to a cup of flour. Will let you know how it goes.
kades


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## Chopstix (Feb 13, 2010)

Good for you kadesma!  The fresh pasta recipe given by my Italian Chef friend is simply this:  

1 fresh organic egg
100g flour (combination of wheat tipo 00 + fine semolina flour, anywhere from 50-50 to 30-70 flour combinations.)

Be sure to rest the dough at least 30 minutes at room temp sealed in cling wrap before making into pasta.

I've made this many times.  Wonderful.  I still have to try combining with other stuff like spinach et al to add colors though.


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## kadesma (Feb 13, 2010)

Chopstix said:


> Good for you kadesma!  The fresh pasta recipe given by my Italian Chef friend is simply this:
> 
> 1 fresh organic egg
> 100g flour (combination of wheat tipo 00 + fine semolina flour, anywhere from 50-50 to 30-70 flour combinations.)
> ...


I make ravioli dough but it's become such a chore with all the rolling..yuk so I want some fresh spinach pasta. it's easy just add frozen and thawed chopped spinach. DH bought me a new machine and add a motor as well. Can't wait for morning.  I like your recipe. I think this is just what I'm looking for..Thank you.
kades


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## Claire (Feb 13, 2010)

My husband has been making us fresh pasta for years.  His mother was of Slovakian background, and made fresh egg noodles with a rolling pin; and yes, it is pasta.  He bought a machine years ago and perfected his style.  He actually likes to use Egg Beaters, believe it or not, because they are consistent.  Everyone has their own favorites; when he makes pasta for my mother, she wants it thick, so he'd make thick fettucini.  I like really fine noodles, very thin fetuchini, thin spaghetti, angel hair.  When my husband is taking the time to make this from scratch, I keep the sauce simple to let the pasta shine through.  For example for thin spaghetti or angel hair, garlic, pepper flakes, and olive oil tossed into the pasta, with good parmesan, pecorino, or asiago on hand to sprinkle.  Maybe a very light tomato sauce, but not a heavy one (very good in the summer is just chopped tomatoes tossed into the mix).  Pesto is another good topper; but again, with good fresh pasta, let your pasta shine through.


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## Claire (Feb 13, 2010)

Kadesma, I, too, found ravioli a real pain in the long run.  We made some very delicious ones, but it really was much more work intensive than what I call the "long pastas".  And now you can get some really great ones in both the freezer and dairy fridge of even a small town grocery store.  We'd find that no matter what we did, we wound up with raviolis that were too thick at the "seams" and mushy in the middle, or that would break open.  With only two of us, it hardly seems worth the trouble, but when we'd have company they didn't really appreciate it.  And we tried it all; a ravioli attachment to our pasta machine (didn't even start to work), a weird plate one where you put a slab of pasta on it, poked your fingers in the holes provided, filled it, and put another on top, and the other plate on top and pressed, and a cookie-cutter type thingie where you made them one at a time.  None of them were even close to satisfactory for a group of people; hours of work for folks who probably wold be fine with chef-boy-ar-di, and certainly not worth it for just us two.  I've seen on TV people making it with won ton wrappers you buy at the grocery store, and I think that may be the way to go, at least for us.


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## Chopstix (Feb 13, 2010)

I know what you mean Claire, about ravioli being too much work  I totally agree!  I gave up after one try.  The skins got too thick and air bubbles kept getting trapped inside the filling and would cause them to burst open during cooking.

Kadesma, I made a small mistake with my recipe:  The flour combination should be 50-50 or up to _70-30 _proportion of fine wheat flour tipo 00 + fine semolina.  (Not 30-70).

What I do is, place the flours (combined thoroughly) in a big dry mixing bowl.  Make a well in the center and break the egg into the well.  Then use a fork to mix the egg yolk and white together while slowly but gradually incorporating a little bit of the flour on the edges of the well.  When the dough has come together, I knead by hand inside the mixing bowl.  When ready, I transfer it to a lightly floured surface and knead some more until I achieve a 'baby's butt' texture.  Wrap this in cling wrap and let rest for at least 30 min at room temp.


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## Chopstix (Feb 13, 2010)

I've found that fresh pasta works best with very simple sauces so that the pasta stands out.  The best fresh pasta dish for me is just tossing just cooked fresh pasta in some truffle oil.  How about that?  That's basically one ingredient.  Heaven in a plate.


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## kadesma (Feb 13, 2010)

_I use to do ravioli every Thanksgiving,Easter, Christmas and didn't mind but back then we  were able to get 10 foot sheets _of dough.We had a wonderful Italian deli all you had to do was order and pick up the dough take it home and begin..I just shake my head at these Chef's who tell you to use won ton skins one by one..No way would my m-i-l have done that her mothers big dinning table  well covered with  a linen table cloth was were she worked fold the dough in half spread the filling with a large spoon fold over the rest of the dough, take your long  ravioli cut out rooling pin and roll over the dough, then cut with your rav cutter...Work yes well woth it yes make your own dough in small sheets NO WAY  
kadesma


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## kadesma (Feb 13, 2010)

Chopstix said:


> I know what you mean Claire, about ravioli being too much work  I totally agree!  I gave up after one try.  The skins got too thick and air bubbles kept getting trapped inside the filling and would cause them to burst open during cooking.
> 
> Kadesma, I made a small mistake with my recipe:  The flour combination should be 50-50 or up to _70-30 _proportion of fine wheat flour tipo 00 + fine semolina.  (Not 30-70).
> 
> What I do is, place the flours (combined thoroughly) in a big dry mixing bowl.  Make a well in the center and break the egg into the well.  Then use a fork to mix the egg yolk and white together while slowly but gradually incorporating a little bit of the flour on the edges of the well.  When the dough has come together, I knead by hand inside the mixing bowl.  When ready, I transfer it to a lightly floured surface and knead some more until I achieve a 'baby's butt' texture.  Wrap this in cling wrap and let rest for at least 30 min at room temp.


Thanks Chopstix,
 I plan to  make a sauce of several different sauteed mushrooms...butter,and a splash of wine...salt and pepper, we all love mushrooms so this will be perfect.
kadesma


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## LadyCook61 (Feb 13, 2010)

With my pasta maker, I make fresh linguini but use different veggies for flavoring.  I like to use the powdered form of the veggies.  Also have used different herbs and spices for flavors, like ground lemon pepper, powdered garlic, etc.  Pesto pasta is delicious!


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## kadesma (Feb 13, 2010)

LadyCook61 said:


> With my pasta maker, I make fresh linguini but use different veggies for flavoring.  I like to use the powdered form of the veggies.  Also have used different herbs and spices for flavors, like ground lemon pepper, powdered garlic, etc.  Pesto pasta is delicious!


Thanks LC..I enjoy a pepper pasta now and again as long as there isn't to much heat. And I also love my lemon pasta...This time I've decided just a plaun simple pasta to put a mixed mushroom in butter and wine over..
kades


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## niquejim (Feb 13, 2010)

My most recent was 

1 1/2 cups sifted flour
   1/4 cup dark cocoa
    1 Tbs water
    1/4 tsp salt

Make into Ravioli stuffed with roasted butternut squash and bacon. Then I sauteed them in olive oil with mushrooms and onions and once removed added white wine to make a sauce


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## kadesma (Feb 13, 2010)

niquejim said:


> My most recent was
> 
> 1 1/2 cups sifted flour
> 1/4 cup dark cocoa
> ...


Sounds wonderful..Thanks for sharing.
kadesma


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