Mastering the Art of Homemade Pasta: A Beginner's Guide to Perfecting Your Pasta Skills
Mastering the Art of Homemade Pasta:
A Beginner's Guide to Perfecting Your Pasta Skills
Living down South for the last several years, I have been consistently honing in on my culinary skills. I have transformed my kitchen into my favorite Italian restaurant.
I taught myself how to make classic staples such as chicken cutlet parmesan, braciole, ravioli, ragu (yes, it’s a dish not just a jarred sauce), and most importantly, pasta.
Learning to make homemade fresh pasta can seem like a daunting task. I assure you, it’s not. I must have watched countless hours of Food Network to learn and improve this skill. I also watch the “Pasta Grannies” on YouTube. This has helped me focus more on hand-crafted specialty pasta dishes that may not be as well known in the United States.
To get started, I researched some different ways of making pasta. Did I want to use an attachment for my stand mixer or did I want to use an old-school rolling pin? I found it easier to use the Kitchenaid pasta attachment. It has a few more steps to it, however, when I was just starting out, it seems to simplify the process. Read the directions on your appliances and
attachments carefully for the cleaning instructions. Also, I have found that if you are going to use the Kitchenaid attachment, start with the Fettuicini wheel. It is easier and more forgiving than the spaghetti.
*Pro Tip: you’ll need to factor in the weather to decide if you’ll need to add a little more water to your dough mixture or a little more flour. Humidity can change the way the dough behaves.
To start, you’ll need your favorite pasta dough recipe. (I have included the one I use below) Follow the directions given and utilize the dough hook on your stand mixer. Once your dough has formed a ball, turn it out onto a well-floured surface.
At this point, you’ll need to start kneading the dough. With the help of your handy bench scrape or your hands, begin bringing the dough together. Once you’ve gathered all the dough bits, it’s time to start kneading. By using the heel of your hand, stretch the dough without tearing it. Then, fold it back onto itself and repeat the process until the dough is smooth. This usually takes about ten minutes or so. When you press your thumb into the dough,
you should see it spring back at you. That’s the surefire way to know that you’ve kneaded the dough enough. Place the dough either in a ziplock bag or a glass bowl. You’ll want to lightly coat the surface of your dough with some olive oil to prevent it from sticking. Either seal the bag or cover the bowl with plastic wrap. The dough will have to rest, to allow the gluten to relax. I recommend letting it rest for thirty minutes. You can leave it on the counter if you are going to roll it out sooner rather than later. Otherwise place in the fridge. If you do place your dough in the fridge, you will need to allow the dough to come to room temperature before attempting to roll it out.
Ok, so you’ve gotten this far, congratulations! That is spectacular, but we’ve got more work to do. Take your dough out and place it on a well-floured surface. Using your bench scrape or a knife, cut your dough into even pieces. If you are using the same recipe I do, then four pieces will do it. Return all but one piece of dough to the bag or bowl. You’ll need to keep the unused dough covered. If you allow your dough to dry out, it’s game over. You can also choose to freeze your dough for up to three months.
Next, let’s get rollin’! Attach the rolling attachment to the stand mixer. Set it to “One.” Well flour your chunk of dough and press it down gently with the heel of your hand. You’ll need to flatten it slightly to allow it to fit into the rollers. Turn on the stand mixer and feed the dough carefully into the roller. When the dough comes out, you’ll fold it into thirds and feed it back into the machine. Repeat this process one more time. Then, without folding, feed the dough through the wheel one last time on the first setting. To continue, change the setting to “two.” feed the dough through the wheel twice on this setting. Repeat the process to setting number six. Note: the dough will be getting
longer and longer. It will need your support. Hold the dough with one hand on each side of the wheel. Support the dough as it is rolling with the backs of your hands.
Once you’ve completed this step, place the rolled out dough on your work surface. Using your bench scrape or knife, cut the
dough into slightly smaller sheets. Then remove the pasta wheel and replace it with the fettucini cutting attachment. Lightly dust your pasta with flour to prevent it from getting stuck in the cutting attachment. Turn on the stand mixer and carefully feed the pasta sheet into the cutter. Gently cradle the freshly cut dough as it comes out of the machine. Once finished, toss with a little more flower and place it on a floured baking sheet. Continue this process until you are out of dough. You can place your sheet of freshly cut dough in the fridge if you are not quite ready to cook it.
In a large pot (I prefer this pot. It’s perfect for pasta) salt the water and bring it to a boil. Place the pasta in quickly and gently stir with tongs or a spider. (no, not the arachnid). This pasta
will cook quickly! It typically cooks in about three to four minutes. The tell-tale sign it’s done is when the pasta begins to float. Remove the pasta from the pot and place it in a large mixing bowl. Using the tongs, toss with your favorite sauce and serve. Buon appetito!
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