First Time Pasta

I've always had a little fantasy involving pasta.

The ultimate version of this vision involves perhaps a renovated barn in Tuscany with an expansive kitchen filled with rustic cooking utensils. Throw in a devastatingly romantic Italian lover and his charming (but not overbearing mother) on hand to teach me her authentic pasta recipes and techniques honed throughout a lifetime of cooking up a storm for her family and I'm well on the way to fulfilling the dream. Reality check. . .it's the stuff of a 'straight to TV' movie adapted from a self discovery type novel likely to have gotten the thumbs up by Oprah.

So tweak the dream just a little and I'm in my tiny kitchen in Ballarat surrounded by my own collection of vintage kitchenalia, cooking up a storm for myself and anyone who cares to road test my fledgling efforts at making my own pasta.

I've never been able to justify buying

a pasta machine as most people I know

who have them have used them
a few times and then resorted to
the packaged gear for
pure ease and convenience, leaving
said pricey
pasta machine abandoned.

But when I stumble across a tidy little machine
in perfect nick in one of my local op-shops
for just $15 I can't resist at least
I won't have to feel guilty about my
carbon footprint, even if I never
put the machine to good regular use.

BASIC PASTA DOUGH

350g plain flour (Powlett Hill Biodynamic)
3 free range eggs
1 tsp Murray River salt flakes
1 tbsp - 3tbsp olive oil
1 - 3 tbsp water

In a bowl combine flour and salt.
Add eggs, some oil and some water
into a well in the flour. Mix.

Add additional oil and water if needed.

Mix in until mixture begins to clump.

Flour your kneading surface
then knead dough until smooth.

Add more flour to stop it sticking.
It may take a while to get smooth.

Wrap kneaded dough in cling wrap
and rest for at least 20 minutes
at room temperature.

With my sage madly flowering at the moment - I'm desperate to use the delicate purple flowers
in something. Thanks to Rohan from http://wholelarderlove.com/ for assuring me the sage flowers are perfectly edible.

I divide the basic past dough and add chopped sage flowers and sage into the mix when rolling.

I set the machine on a wide roll.
I keep rolling, folding the dough
over itself and re rolling over
and over.

I gradually set the roller
on smaller settings
until suddenly the sheets
feel like 'real pasta'.

I realise I have
nothing to dry them on
so I improvise
with a music stand
covered in paper towel.

I leave the sheets to rest
for half and hour or more.

Then I feel the sheets through
the cutting section of the
pasta machine.



I flour the strands and hang them over a wooden spoon to dry again.


The sage flower pasta was incredible. It improved after a couple of days.
I think I slightly over cooked my first batch. Such fresh pasta cooked very quickly. 5 or so minutes and then check frequently from there.

Perfect served with just nut brown butter, crispy sage leaves, Meredith Dairy Goats Cheese, salt and pepper. Add some panchetta or smoked chicken (or any left over Festive Meat ie ham or turkey) and rocket with toasted walnuts or any other handy ingredients.

Serve with some left over cranberry jam or quince paste perhaps.
Great way to use leftovers.