Simple dough pressed together with fresh herbs gives an Instagram worthy pasta!
I love pasta of all sorts and anyway I can add some new flavor is always a fun challenge. This pasta isn’t as hard as it looks but it does take time. If you want to plan a day over the weekend, I promise it is work the effort! We start by using my simple pasta dough recipe. Then press into 2 sheets of dough. I do this with a pasta press but you can certainly roll by hand. It will just take a bit of muscle.
You want to get it thin. After the sheets are ready add any fresh herbs.
I like to mix around, but a safe and Italian blend is basil leaves and parsley leaves. Just add them all over the dough. Add the second sheet and roll through the press on a tighter setting. (or roll by hand until in is super thin)
Cut and cook or freeze for later.
Let’s get started!
INGREDIENTS:
- 3 1/2 cups of All purpose flour plus more (GF flour can be substituted)
- 5 large eggs
- Healthy pinch of salt
- 1/4 cup (or so) Fresh herbs I like to use basil leaves and parsely leaves
DIRECTIONS:
- Make a mound of flour in the center of the counter or cutting board.
- Make a well in the center and add all of the eggs plus pinch of salt.
- Take a fork and beat the eggs together and start to incorporate the flour working from the inner rim.
- Keep mixing and pulling the flour in. It will start for form more into dough the more you mix. Once you have most of it mixed go ahead and start scooping the remaining flour into the mix until it becomes more of a dough texture and you can knead it.Â
- Now that you have a dough ball, set it aside and scrape up the dried bits and dispose. Going back to a clean surface add flour to and begin kneading the dough. You will do this for 10 minutes.
- The dough should be smooth and a slightly sticky.
- Now wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.
- While the dough rests I like to prep the herbs. A little tip is to put the hetbs on a paper towel, cover with a second towel, and then press it between the pages of a cookbook. This helps to get a flat leaf so it is easy to work with.Â
- Ok after the 30 minutes is up its time for the fun part!
- Set up the pasta press. Make sure it is securly attached to the counter and you give room to work with the rolled out dough.
- Split the dough into 2 balls. Wrap 1 back to keep it from drying out.
- Put the sheet on the thickest setting. (Or roll by hand with a rolling pin)
- I like to use a rolling pin and roll out the dough into a flat disc shape to get started. It doesn’t have to be perfect but you want to get it a bit flat to begin.
- Now sprinkle a bit of flour on the dough and start to run it through the press.
- Repeat. Then lower 1 settng and roll it through again. Folding the sheet in half as you go to get a good texture and size.
- Continue to move the thickness setting down as you go and adding more flour as needed, I end my sheet on the 3rd setting. Flour the workspace and lay the sheet on it.
- Add the herbs and press out the 2nd sheet. Try to get the same thickness and length. They won’t be perfect but that is ok.
- Lay the 2nd sheet on top of the herbs and take a rolling pin, roll over the sheets and press at the ends to get them to stay closed. Cut the sheet in half.
- Run them through the press 1 at a time.
- Change the dough press to the slice/noodles blade and run the dough sheet through. (Or cut with a knife or pizza cutter)
- Wrap the dough in a nest or a ball like pictured.
- From here you can take the nests and put them into quart size freezer bags. Or a food saver.
- They will keep up to 2 months in the freezer. If you are wanting to cook asap (and why wouldn’t you?)
- Boil a pot of water with salt. Put the fresh or frozen noodles in the boiling water for 3 minutes, drain and serve with your favorites sauces and ingredients.
- ENJOY!
Frozen noodles- If you froze the noodles and are ready to cook- Simply follow instruction number 24.
Check out my Instagram for videos of all my food. @SHESGOTTHECOOKS.
