Dear friends, today we talk about a fundamental basic recipe: the basic dough for homemade pasta.
It is egg pasta, the classic recipe I learned from my mom, who learned it in turn from her mom, Grandma Maria, who was making it this way since she was a child. It seems incredible, but when my Grandma Maria was a child, it means well over a century ago! (she was born in 1903!).
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Here are other traditional recipes I learned from my mom and grandmas: 👇
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economic
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
👉 I leave you the ingredients of 2 versions. The version with whole wheat flour (in a small quantity) is my mom’s habit, which I also often use because it makes the pasta slightly rougher. My mom always says it reminds her, even visually, of the less refined flour that was used when she was a child.
- 1 3/5 cups type 1 flour (type 0 is also fine)
- 2 eggs (whole)
- 1 1/2 cups type 1 flour
- 2 tbsps tbsp whole wheat flour
- 2 eggs (whole)
Tools
- Work Surface
- Rolling Pin
- Fork
Steps
Pour the flour on the work surface and shape it into a well, that is with the classic central hole.
Break the eggs into the hole.
Beat the eggs with the fork and slowly incorporate the flour using your free hand.
Knead the pasta with your hands.
At first, the dough crumbles but by continuing to knead it, you obtain a well-mixed dough.Once you have a dough ball, you can proceed to roll it out with a rolling pin or with the pasta machine. Before using it, it is advisable to let the dough rest at room temperature between two plates, but I confess that I often skip this step and proceed immediately with the recipe.
Alternatively, homemade pasta can be prepared with a mixer (a method that my Grandma Maria certainly wouldn’t approve of!). The mixer produces a more uneven dough, which I recommend transferring to the work surface and kneading briefly by hand, even just for a minute, to obtain a pasta very similar to the handmade one but in much less time.
Any unused dough can be stored in the refrigerator for a day wrapped in plastic wrap (before using it, take it out of the fridge in advance and bring it to room temperature) or freeze it.
If you want to find out what I cooked with this egg pasta… I’ll wait for you tomorrow! (but I spoil it with a photo!) 😃
Salt-Free Tips
Mom and Grandma’s egg pasta obviously includes the classic pinch of salt, indispensable in traditional cooking. On the contrary, I don’t add salt to any type of dough, none of us in the family feels the need for it, and I assure you, you get used to it in no time. Try it too, remove the salt one pinch at a time!
If you are interested in reducing or eliminating salt, always remember to:
▫ Decrease salt gradually, the palate has to get used to it slowly and shouldn’t notice the progressive reduction.
▫ Use spices. Chili pepper, pepper, curry, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, cumin…
▫ Use aromatic herbs. Basil, parsley, oregano, thyme, sage, marjoram, rosemary, mint…
▫ Use seeds. Sesame, pine nuts, almonds, walnuts…
▫ Use spicy vegetables or fruit. Garlic, onion, lemon, orange…
▫ Use my salt-free vegetable granules and gomasio.
▫ Prefer fresh foods.
▫ Avoid cooking in water, prefer cooking methods that don’t disperse flavors (grill, foil, steam, microwave)
▫ Avoid bringing the salt shaker to the table!
▫ Sometimes indulge in breaking the rule. It’s good for the mood and helps to persevere.
If you don’t want to, or can’t, give up salt:
▫ You can still try my recipes salting according to your habits.
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In my new WhatsApp channel and on Instagram, on the Facebook page, on Pinterest and in my two groups: Catia’s group, in the kitchen and beyond and Just what I was looking for! and if you want… subscribe to the Newsletter.
