Sheesh. Make your own pasta!

[Darlene]

I've been reading through the forums this morning...haven't been able to do that much for a week or two, and am seeing a pattern with some people's thoughts or concerns that sometimes mirror my own. I tend to process and formulate a different goal than some, so I thought I'd share my perspective on some of this.

 

I see in the stores many of the shortages. My default immediately goes to, "how can I make this myself" with the knowledge that what I can make that the commercial companies make, is far superior in nutrition or taste ANYWAY. Sheesh lol

 

So, perhaps we can talk about a few of these things as there are several things I have in mind that we normally buy, that we can make on our own, but for today, we'll start with pasta..

 

I was just at Walmart and the grocery store the other day and see the bare shelves that hold very little (if any) pasta. As soon as I witness this current fact, I am instantly reminded that I can, and often do, make MY OWN pasta. The taste and nutrition is so much better than the commercial products that I often wonder why I even bother buying any from the store.

 

So with that said, have any of you ever made any pasta (including noodles)? I'm sure many of you have, but if you haven't it's ridiculously simple. Sure, there are shapes that require certain (ATTAINABLE) equipment to make like penne, elbow, etc, but many unique shapes were traditionally made by hand anyway.

 

I have the appropriate pasta making equipment but if I didn't, I could still make it, so no excuses lol. I have 2 versions that I make...a 'high end' pasta with just flour, 1 whole egg and multiple egg yolks...and a "poor man's" pasta, that uses whole eggs through out, with a little water and/or oil.

 

If I didn't have the 'pasta rollers/cutters', I would still be able to make my dough, rest it, roll it out and cut by hand. To be honest, it's easy to hand cut fettuccini, linguine, pappardelle, etc.

 

You can find a ton of pasta recipes out there but they all boil down to simply flour, eggs (or just egg yolks)...some add a little water (I don't), some add a little oil (I don't), some add a little salt (I don't because I boil in salted water), and that is it. It is kneaded, and then rested for 30-60 minutes wrapped in Saran Wrap, rolled out to the desired thickness and then cut. It can then be dried while hanging on a pasta rack (you could use a goofy coat hanger for that matter), and then refrigerated or frozen. OR, conversely, you can make and cut the pasta and vacuum seal it (or not) and freeze it from there. I have even made up the dough, divided it into appropriate weights, wrapped it in Saran Wrap placed in a zip lock, to be thawed at a later date, rolled and cut at that time.

 

So, who cares if the pasta shelves at the store are bare? I'll make my own.

 

 

 

 

[euphrasyne]

homemade noodles are great!  Chinese noodles like pulled noodles are simple, and rice noodles are a good alternative to wheat.  Eggs are completely optional for most pasta doughs and can be simple vegan meals.  I do love a good egg noodle for stroganoff!  

 

Hand-pulled noodles (La Mian, 拉面), a foolproof recipe - Red House Spice

[Cricket]

I’ve made homemade noodles that are cut and rolled but not fancy pasta. Homemade cooked noodles with some chunky tomato sauce and garbanzo beans is yummy!

 

I’ve also made lots of spaetzle, a German dumpling type noodle squeezed through a spaetzle device. (my grandmother’s) or a colander, or dropped into the boiling liquid from a cutting board using a knife to scrape it off in “strips.”

 

The spaetzle maker is like a potato ricer or a humongous garlic press 

[Mother]

I have made probably hundreds of pounds of pasta, including Spaetzle.  Love Spaetzle.  I have a pasta maker but rarely use it.  I roll and cut noodles by hand and what I don’t use fresh I usually hang on a small pasta rack, a wooden clothes drying rack, or backs of chairs, or just heaped up on the table and let it dry.  Once thoroughly dry it keeps just as well as commercial pasta.   
 

The best pasta, for my taste, is made with whole goose eggs and flour.  

[Dee]

DH isn't much for pasta.  We probably have it 4 or 5 times a year.  So, I buy commercially made pasta BUT, I do make homemade noodles.  Tons of them through the years.  He loves chicken or beef and noodles.  I make a lot of soups in the winter and use my homemade noodles.  I just leave mine on the counter to dry and turn them over 2 or 3 times in maybe 24 hours.  I then put them in a large bag and into the freezer to use later.  Oh yum, nothing better.

[Darlene]

You’re making me hungry Dee lol

[Dee]

Me too. LOL

[Homesteader]

I am so hungry now that I'm going to eat my way through Iowa, on my way to Georgia.  

 

One of my KitchenAid pasta makers was given to me by Dar during a visit in Miami. My hips prove there's nothing more tasty than homemade noodles. 

[Ambergris]

I have made egg noodles with the tortilla press, making an eggy dough and pressing it to get a nice, even thickness before cutting it into strips.

[Ambergris]

Hey, Pillbury flour is on buy-one-get one this week at Publix.  Check your store for sales.  Note that there's not very much at all on the shelf, though.  One of the bags I got split when I put it in the cart, and there was no replacement to grab.  Since it was the freebie, I kept it.

[Darlene]

4 hours ago, Ambergris said:

I have made egg noodles with the tortilla press, making an eggy dough and pressing it to get a nice, even thickness before cutting it into strips.

 

That's actually a great idea because I have one of those presses and made some homemade corn tortillas recently. It would obviously work great for noodles too.

[Annarchy]

Here’s another thread on pasta….

 

 

[Ambergris]

After you make them, look at this recipe from an old post:

 

NOODLES MIX
 
1 C. instant nonfat dry milk
2 T. grated Romano or Parmesan Cheese
1/3 C. dried minced onion
1 T. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. white pepper
 
Combine and store in an airtight container. This will keep for 4 months on the shelf.
 
To use, combine 1/4 cup Noodles Mix with 2 tablespoons melted butter and 1/4 cup milk. Toss with pasta.
 
For variety, add 1/4 cup grated Cheddar cheese in place of the Parmesan cheese for a different taste
 

[Annarchy]

DH is allergic to all mfg. Parmesan cheese.  I get the wedges, no additives, pure cheese & grate it myself.  I’m thinking it’s the walnut wood shavings they add to keep it from clumping.  A friend brought us some black walnuts from MI.  They were absolutely awesome!  However, DH had a quarter piece, his tongue, throat and mouth swelled up….. not a good thing.  But, a lot of my recipes call for Parmesan, so I tried the wedge… he has no reaction to it. IDK.

[Ambergris]

Watch out for pecans.  Very close relative.  Then hickories and butternuts too.  But you probably already thought of that.