Oodles of Noodles
- Lindsey A. Weaver
- Aug 24, 2020
- 4 min read
I love fresh pasta. It's guaranteed to elevate any ole pasta dish. The texture and the pairing of other fresh ingredients are just uncomparable to store-bought pasta. And, it's surprisingly easy to make. Three ingredients and about 15 minutes prep time. I love to play around with different flavors, shapes, and even colors (one day I'll venture out into making rainbow pasta)!
I wanted to share how I make pasta in a breeze with my handy dandy Kitchenaid. Not just your everyday pasta though. Infused pasta with things from my garden. In three different flavors and shapes. I would feel like I cheated you if I didn't also include a special sauce for each one.
So without further ado, I bring you homemade pasta dough, three ways!
Let's dive into making the dough! The base of all dough is flour.
Most people recommend using 00 flour. I use plain-ole all-purpose flour. You could use whole wheat or a gluten-free/low carb flour of your choice. Feel free to play around with different flours.
I use the "scoop and scrape" method for measuring, and into the mixer, it goes. (2 cups)
Next, goes in four eggs and about a teaspoon of olive oil for flavor. I use the paddle attachment for mixing and then quickly change to the bread hook for kneading. I prefer using the Kitchenaid over placing the flour on the counter, creating a well, and mixing the egg with a fork, simply because it's less messy. I also have the nifty pasta roller and cutter set attachment, which makes homemade pasta easier than ever.
I still knead my dough by hand for about 10 minutes, ensuring that everything is incorporated and mixed well. When kneading the dough, you should see a heart shape in the flour start to form. After kneading, it's time to let the dough rest for about 30 minutes. I placed a small amount of oil on top of plastic wrap and let it rest.
After the dough rests, you are ready to roll it out and make noodles. However, we are jazzing things up and are making three kinds of pasta. Once the dough was out of the plastic wrap, it was cut into thirds.
To me, this dough screams blank canvas!
Let's start with the lemon pepper pappardelle. Pappardelle is a half-inch thick pasta that pairs well with oil-based sauces. To make pappardelle noodles you want to roll your dough out very thin and give it a dusting of flour. Fold the pasta a few times, until it will cut with one single knife movement.
Mmmhh.. fresh lemon zest and ground peppercorn.
I did a little research (thanks, Pinterest) and found a sauce called "Cacio E Pepe" which is a black pepper and olive oil-based sauce. Perfecto! While the water was coming to a boil, I placed olive oil in a pan on medium-high heat. Once the oil was warm, I ground in some fresh black pepper to infuse the oil.
Fresh pasta only takes about 3-4 minuets to cook, so make sure to not overcook it. Also, remember to save some pasta water for your sauce. Once your pasta is done, strain and place into the saucepan with the black pepper infused olive oil. I zested a little lemon on top and tossed it around until I was happy with the consistency. Then, I topped the dish with freshly shaved parmesan cheese.
Viola! Lemon Pepper Pappardelle in a Cacio E Pepe Sauce. Pair with some steamed veggies and a rotisserie chicken for a delicious and quick dinner.
Next, we have my personal favorite, sage farfalle (or bowtie). I simply clipped some fresh sage from my garden, chopped the herb very fine, and incorporated it into my pasta dough.
For farfalle shaped pasta, roll the dough until you get a rectangular shape and cut it into smaller rectangular pieces. I used a fork in a cup of water to damped the dough in the middle and squeeze it together horizontally, creating a bowtie shape. It's okay if they're not perfect because they are still just as yummy!
I love mushrooms and onions with pasta. So that's exactly what I did! Sautéed some white mushrooms and onions in brown butter sauce while the pasta was boiling. I candied some walnuts to sprinkle on top; if you haven't tried nuts in a pasta dish, you're missing out!
Threw the pasta in the saucepan, tossed everything together, sprinkled walnuts and bit of fresh sage on top, and Boom!
Sage farfalle in a brown butter sauce w/ mushroom, onions & candied walnuts. Yum!
Lastly, we have our habanero fettuccine. I have a habanero plant in my garden that is abundant in peppers! I clipped one off of the plant and blanched it in boiling water for about 3 mins in fear of the pepper being too spicy. I minced the pepper up and incorporated it into the rest of the pasta dough and rolled it out until thin.
Next came the cutting. I love the fettuccine cutter attachment. I hung the noodles over the kitchen-aid to dry out a little bit until boiling to avoid them sticking together.
While the pasta was drying, I peeled the shrimp and sprinkled it with cajun seasoning. While the water was coming to a boil, I started the alfredo sauce. Traditional alfredo sauce is made with three ingredients; butter, parmigiana, and pasta water. Milk or cream can be added to help with consistency.
Once the pasta was done, it was strained and tossed in with the sauce. I started the shrimp at this time as well. After a few mins of the shrimp cooking and the pasta being tossed in the sauce, it was ready to plate!
Bada bing, bada boom! Habanero fettuccine in alfredo sauce w/ cajun shrimp.
It wasn't too spicy, I would even recommend two habanero peppers in the pasta dough.
And there you have it. I hope these recipes inspire you to create your own flavorful, fun, dishes. Please share your creations on social media and tag us @beeskneesmarketingco!
Thanks for buzzing by!
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