Nutrition:Fresh Egg Pasta

As a true Nigerian, spaghetti, pasta and the like is more of a staple food than rice even.

You must be wondering why anyone would be bothered to make pasta from scratch when you’re just a spaghetti packet and boiling water away. Well there’s a HUGE difference between industrial pasta and fresh pasta. Dry pasta is made with a hard wheat flour called semolina and water. Mixed and dried industrially to increase its shelf life and withstand high cooking temperatures. Fresh pasta on the other hand is made with flour, eggs and water.  Mixed and kneaded into a firm dough, rested, rolled, cut and used immediately.

If you’re a pasta/noodle lover. You have got to try this recipe. All you need is flour, eggs, a rolling pin and a whole lot of elbow grease. Trust me if you’re looking for a workout this is exactly what you need cause kneading the dough to a pliable elastic stretchy mass is not for the faint hearted. The whole essence of it is to get the gluten in the flour to form, and stretch.

You’d also need a kitchen towel to cover the dough and prevent it from drying, extra flour for dusting and rolling, and a large working area where you can make like an Italian cook with elbows covered in flour and your fingers pinched together saying “bellisimo” in that wonderful accent.

I suggest making this with a friend. Imagine the fun.

So let’s get down to the process

Ingredients:

    Strong Flour                                       400g
    Eggs (beaten)                                    4 medium
    Salt
    Olive oil                                                                as required

Steps:

Sieve the flour and salt together on your work surface. You do know what a work surface is by now right? Wait…right?

Create a large well in the center enough to accommodate the eggs.

Pour in your beaten eggs into the well and gradually push the flour into the eggs and mix with your hands. (This is very messy but fun).

Only add oil to adjust the consistency of your dough if it’s turning out too tough and dry, and not forming well.

Keep mixing until a firm dough forms with no loose crumbs.

It’s time to drink some Red Bull for that elbow grease I mentioned earlier cause this is the point where kneading starts.

To knead, press the heel of your hand into the dough, pushing it away from you. Fold the dough back in, turn in any direction and push with heel of your hands. Keep at it until the dough becomes smooth and elastic. Don’t worry it’s not possible to over knead the dough but you can under knead it though. So keep kneading. It should stretch easily without tearing.

Once you’ve reached that point, form into a ball, wrap tightly in plastic or cover with a damp kitchen towel, and leave to rest for 1 - 3 hours.

Cut the dough a quarter at a time. Covering the others as you work with one quarter.

Using a rolling pin (you can improvise with a long empty liquor bottle), roll the dough out on a floured surface thinly. The dough is going to become large so make use of your work surface well. Flour your work surface and rolling pin as needed.

Cut into strips with a sharp knife or pizza cutter, wider or thinner as desired. Dust with flour and twirl it up in a nest to keep.

Continue with remaining dough.

To cook it, set a pot of salted water to boil. Add the fresh pasta.

They cook pretty fast so you need to watch them. They firm up a bit in the first few moments of cooking so taste for doneness (the raw taste will fade) and drain immediately.

Complimenti! You’ve just made fresh pasta.

Feel free to make an accompanying sauce to go with it.

Don’t worry I got you so stay tuned for my next post for a dope pasta sauce.