How do you make your homemade noodles? What do you put in them? I am looking for a really good recipe; I'm tired of using store bought noodles all of the time.

There are many different types of noodle/pastas that you can make.

Forgive me for no measurements - but I do it all by looks and feel -

First I beat my eggs with a spinkle of salt and add enough flour to make a good dough. Cover for 15 minutes to let it rest, roll and cut.

I may add boiled and mashed potatoes or homemade ricotta cheese for gnocchi. Or I can add squash, a pinch of nutmeg and a bit of grated cheese as well.

Or I may add pureed spinach, carrots, beets, tomatoes, etc. for a flavored noodle.

Sometimes I use just all-purpose flour, sometimes I add a bit of semolina to the all-purpose flour. Or I use all-purpose and wheat flours.

There is so much you can do.


Eggless Pasta

4 cups of noodles.



* 2 cups semolina flour
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 cup warm water


1. In a large bowl, mix flour and salt. Add warm water and stir to make a stiff dough. Increase water if dough seems too dry.
2. Pat the dough into a ball and turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead for 10 to 15 minutes. Cover. Let dough rest for 20 minutes.
3. Roll out dough using rolling pin or pasta machine. Work with a 1/4 of the dough at one time. Keep the rest covered, to prevent from drying out. Roll by hand to 1/16 of an inch thick. By machine, stop at the third to last setting.
4. Cut pasta into desired shapes.
5. Cook fresh noodles in boiling salted water for 3 to 5 minutes. Drain.



Genuine Egg Noodles


2 cups Durum wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3 eggs
water as needed


1. Combine flour, salt and baking powder. Mix in eggs and enough water to make the dough workable. Knead dough until stiff. Roll into ball and cut into quarters. Using 1/4 of the dough at a time, roll flat to about 1/8 inch use flour as needed, top and bottom, to prevent sticking. Peel up and roll from one end to the other. Cut roll into 3/8 inch strips. Noodles should be about 4 to 5 inches long depending on how thin it was originally flattened. Let dry for 1 to 3 hours.

2. Cook like any pasta or, instead of drying first cook it fresh but make sure water is boiling and do not allow to stick. It takes practice to do this right.


HOMEMADE NOODLES


2 eggs
1/4 c. milk
Flour

Mix eggs and milk in bowl. Add flour until dry. Roll out on floured board to 1/8 inch thick cover with more flour. Roll up as jelly roll and cut 1/4 inch thick. Unroll and add to chicken soup a few at a time; cook 1/2 hour. Season.



HOMEMADE FETTUCCINE


2 1/3 c. flour
1/2 t. salt
2 eggs, beaten
1/3 c. water
1 t. olive oil or cooking oil

In large bowl, stir 2 c. flour and salt. Make a well in center. In small bowl combine eggs, water and oil. Add egg mixture to flour mixture; stir to combine.

Sprinkle remaining flour on clean surface. Turn dough out onto floured surface and nead until smooth and elastic (8 to 10 minutes total). Cover and let rest 10 minutes.

Divide dough into 4 portions. On lightly floured surface, roll 1/16-inch thick; sprinkle lightly with flour; starting at short end, roll into a tube. cut into 1/4-inch strips; unroll.

To serve immediately, cook in slightly salted water for 2 minutes, or until done; drain.

To store cut pasta, hang from a pasta-drying rack. Dry overnight or until completely dry. Place in airtight container and chill up to 3 days. Or dry for at least 1 hour; place in freezer bag or freezer containers and freeze up to 8 months.



You may use a food processor with a steel blade. Add flour, salt and eggs to bowl. Cover and process until mixture forms fine crumbs about the consistency of cornmeal. With processor running, slowly pour water and oil through the feed tube; continue processing just until dough forms a ball. Transfer to lightly floured surface. Cover and let rest 10 minutes. Continue as above.



Hope this helps.

Tell me Mama, is it worth making your own pasta? I know lotsa folks make their own pasta, but does it really taste better than a good quality store bought dried pasta?

OMG YES!!!

Give me homemade pasta any day! There are so many different recipes for different "flavored" pasta out there and you can roll, cut and shape and fill into anything you want! I've been making my own for over 50 years - wouldn't change it.

I have to admit, I'm guilty. I love to cook, but I also cut corners here and there where I can to save a little time. I use store bought noodles.