INGREDIENTS
The Dough
400g Durum Semolina
4 Whole eggs
1/2 tsp Salt
METHOD
Homemade pasta is one of the most simple and satisfying things to make and of course - once you've mastered fresh pasta shapes - you can move on to stuffed pastas such as ravioli and tortellini.
Mix together your flour and salt, place on a clean workbench and make a well in the centre, I use the bottom of the bowl the flour is weight into ;)
Crack your eggs into the well, mix slowly with a fork to combine into a sticky mess.
Put the fork aside and bring the dough together with your hands. Kneed for 10-15 minutes, you'll notice the dough increasing in elasticity and looking smoother, form a ball.
Cling film tightly and allow to rest in the fridge for 30 mins. (It can be kept up to 24 hours in the fridge)
Your pasta is ready to roll. If you have a pasta machine pass the dough through on the widest setting folding and rolling 4 times until you have a rectangle. Roll through the machine slowly decreasing the thickness as desired, around 0-1 on your pasta machine or 3 mm thick sheets.
If rolling by hand (like me) get ready for a workout! Take small amounts of dough roll as thin as possible with your rolling pin, you'll have to pass over several times as the dough will contract, keep going until you have 3 mm thick sheets.
Now you are ready to make your pasta shapes.
• Farfalle (below): cut rectangles - as large or small as you want - and pinch together the centre.
• Manicotti (below): cut small squares, wrap the pasta around a clean pen, then roll pushing firmly on to a clean comb and gently push off.
You can dry pasta and keep for several weeks or cook straight away.
To cook boil in lightly salted water for 5-6 mins until tender.
CHEF'S TABLE
One of my favourite cheap and easy sauces to go with fresh pasta.
Serves two people.
1 tin chopped tomatoes
1 tin Mackerel
1/2 Onion diced
1 tsp chopped garlic
tip of a tsp chopped chilli
Capers, olive oil and grated Parmesan to cover
Sweat onion and garlic until tender, add chilli and chopped tomatoes. Cook on a medium heat until the liquid has reduced and formed a thick sauce. Stir in your tin of mackerel with all the oil from the tin, chop through with your spoon and serve on your homemade fresh pasta covering with plenty of capers, olive oil and Parmesan.
Tasty satisfying Din dins for a fiver!