Tutti a Tavola A Mangiare!

I made homemade pasta last night and it turned out FABULOUS! It was easy, fun, and yummy. I received a pasta machine for Christmas (thank you Suzy) and I finally got the chance to use it. I didn't realize how easy it actually is to use.
I used the recipe below (from Lidia) and made fettucine pasta. I then made up my own sauce to serve over the pasta. I topped the pasta off with purple Sage flowers and fresh Italian parsely.

Easy: The dough does not require much work and the act of running it through the pasta machine was really quite easy (and fun!). Clean-up was VERY easy. The machine says to NOT use water or soap. I only need to wipe it off with a brush. So, that is what I did after making my pasta. I brushed it off and put it straight back into the box!

Fun: I made the pasta with my little girl Lydia (3 yr)...and we had a great time doing this together. She helped me make the dough, knead it, and then roll out in the pasta machine.

Yummy: I think anything made from scratch tastes so much better than already store bought food. The pasta was REALLY good. I loved the freshness of it. Hmm, I am craving some right now!

My next step is to make raviolis! I need to find a good filling. Anybody made raviolis before? If you have any good recipes, share!

Fresh Pasta: Mlinzi

From Lidia Bastianich (Lidia's Italy)

Makes 1-1/2 pounds

3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup very cold water, plus more as needed

Put the flour in the bowl of a food processor and process for a few seconds to aerate. Mix the eggs, olive oil, and the water in a measuring cup or other spouted container. Start the food processor running and pour in the liquids through the feed tube. Process for 30 to 40 seconds, until a soft dough forms and gathers on the blade. If the dough does not gather and is wet and sticky, process in more flour, in small additions. If it is dry and stiff, process in more water, by spoonfuls.

Turn the dough out on a lightly floured surface and knead by hand for a minute, until it’s smooth, soft and stretchy. Press it into a disk, wrap it in plastic wrap and let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes before using. To use later, refrigerate for up to a day, or freeze it for a month or more. Defrost frozen dough in the refrigerator; return it to room temperature before rolling.