Fresh home made pasta where everyone can take part in making the meal by cutting their own pasta shapes.
The joy of creating your own food in a quick and easy yet nutritious way.
One can also grow their spinach at home in small containers, the flavour is far better than store both spinach and you will only harvest the amount you need, therefore saving money.
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 400g all purpose flour
- 4 large eggs kept at room temperature
pinch of salt to taste
- 4 large leaves of spinach finely chopped (dried with a kitchen towel)
Method
Sift flour and salt, add finely chopped spinach and rub with fingers until all the spinach is incorporated into the flour.
Place the spinach and flour mixture on a work surface in a heap then hollow the centre of this heap.
Crack open all four eggs into this hollow centre, using a fork stir the eggs while incorporating the flour into the eggs.
Once all the egg is mixed with the flour, use your fingertips to mix the rest of the flour on the work surface, then knead into a ball. (The mixture may sometimes be crumbly, add little drops of water until you get the mixture compacted).
Keep this ball of dough in cling wrap and set on the work surface (room temperature) for 15 minutes, knead it again then set in cling wrap for another 15 minutes.
After this resting period the pasta will be softer and elastic, now it is ready to roll.
Cut the dough ball in four and start rolling flat each section.
Roll these portions flat to a thickness of about 0.5mm thick.
Flour the pasta sheets to keep them dry.
Now you’re ready to cut your pasta into any shape you desire. The fun part for your guests or family is that each person can get to cut their desired shapes.
Roll the pasta sheet then cut with a sharp knife into thin strips (5-7mm for a fettuccine shape or any other shape you may desire, ie. cut into squares to create a handkerchief shape) unroll, separate and dust the cut shapes with flour, then place on a floured work surface to keep the pasta shapes dry.
In the meantime, boil 2 litres of water, a pinch of salt and drop a dollop of butter in the water (the butter also adds some flavour, but can be left out).
Cook the pasta in this boiling water for not more than 4 minutes, drain and keep aside to toss in the roast tomato sauce (next quick and easy recipe).