Cooking something that seems as complex as homemade pasta might look laborious and time consuming, but it doesn’t have to be! Chef Massimo Capra is here to teach us how easy it is to make pasta from the comfort of our own homes — all without a machine. He also has a simple recipe for a homemade tomato sauce you can make to complement your pasta.
What are you waiting for? Pull out your rolling pins and start kneading that dough, because every night is pasta night with this simple guide.
INGREDIENTS
- 500 gr Semolina flour or Pasta flour
- 250 ml water
- salt pinch
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Pasta sauce
- 3 cups Tomato sauce Passata
- 5 oz water
- 4 garlic cloves shaved
- 2 basil whole stem
- 4 oz Pancetta thickly sliced
- 4 oz white wine
- 4 oz olive oil
- Abundant Pecorino Romano
METHOD
Equipment Needed:
Pasta board
Rolling Pin
Board Scraper
Dexterity (learned by Practice)
Pasta:
- Mix the flour with the water, add a pinch of salt and the olive oil, knead until you get a soft, smooth dough ball, place in a plastic bag and rest for at least thirty minutes.
- On a wood surface (preferably) use a rolling pin to flatten the dough to about 1/8th of an inch, sprinkle flour on it to prevent sticking.
- Cut with a knife the dough into stripes about 1/8th of an inch wide and roll them with your hand to make them as thin as spaghetti, keep them well floured and well spread out to prevent sticking, continue until the dough is finished.
- Cook immediately or store in a cool dry place until needed, can also be frozen on trays for longer storage.
- Boil your noodles in plenty of salted water for a few minutes, drain and toss in your favorite sauce.
Sauce for pasta:
- Preheat a skillet, add olive oil, pancetta, cook until fragrant, then add garlic, and basil, and then sprinkle the wine, once evaporated add the tomato and the water, season to taste, and cook for a few minutes.
- Add the previously cooked pasta and tossed well, serve at once sprinkled with lots of cheese.