Monthly Archives: January 2011

I am so proud of myself today. Just look at my dinner:

As of my birthday, I am the proud owner of the Kitchen Aid pasta attachments, compliments of my fantastic fiance. This surprised me to no end, since it is a long-running joke in our household that I’m seriously pasta-deprived thanks to him. Since I’ve known him, he has claimed to “not like” pasta. Of any kind.

WHAT KIND OF PERSON DOESN’T LIKE PASTA?!? *see Figure 1

*Fig. 1: This Guy

I wasn’t going to let that stop me though, let me tell you, and it’s been a long road. It’s been four years of my best pasta dishes, each one making one small step toward pasta freedom. But now…

We’ve made it! We are free to eat good pasta at my leisure and ENJOY it, both of us! Steve has become a self-proclaimed “pasta snob”, since he’s figured out that he really just wants to eat fresh pasta. I guess the pasta attachments are our path to pasta happiness.

Here’s how we made the noodles. This makes about 4 cups of cooked noodles.

You will need:

1 cup cake flour
2 egg yolks
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup whole wheat flour

Mix all ingredients together, except the whole wheat flour.
 

 
The ingredients will come together into a ball. You will now start to incorporate the whole wheat flour. You can also use more white flour here if you’d rather. Place the ball on a floured surface.
 

 
Start incorporating the whole wheat flour by kneading the dough. You should knead the dough for 6-8 minutes.
 

 
Once the whole wheat flour is incorporated, wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it sit for an hour. THE. LONGEST. HOUR. OF. YOUR. LIFE.

OK, hour’s over. Let’s make noodles.

Cut the dough into 4 roughly equal pieces. Squish the pieces down until they are about a centimeter thick.
 


 
When rolling pasta, you have to start on the first setting until the dough seems uniform and close to the size and shape you’d like. Once the dough is the size and shape you’d like, you start working on the thickness with the higher roller settings. The higher the setting, the thinner the noodles.
 



 
It is a good idea to lightly flour your noodles. It helps them pass through the roller without sticking. Once the dough is the desired thickness, you can cut them into the shape you’d like.
 


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Just boil for 4 minutes (or to desired doneness, and depending on the thickness of the pasta).
 


 
Serve!