This last week found me at a food blog I hadn’t visited before, Kitchen Monkey. I like the name of the blog and he’s got a picture of a chimp on his banner, I’ll read.
He’s got a post on there about making his own noodles for a Ramen Soup thing with tender bits of meat & vegies & egg. I wasn’t interested in the soup, but making my own pasta needed to be done. You see, Mama purchased a pasta machine years ago and never really got to using it. It’s cold here, been raining a lot, what the hell else do I have to do?

I’m not going to offer an exact listed recipe here, it’s more about the process this time.
Yup, if you talk to anyone who cooks they’ve probably done their own pasta and will tell you how easy it is. I’m sure it is, for them. I wanted to try. I’d helped my uncle do it a hand full of times when I was a tot. It was so tasty! Butter & salt, that’s all you need for perfection. I remember he had wooden dowels to dry the pasta on, I cleaned off a cabinet door. The recipe I used was tiny, just under a cup of unbleached white flour (my first mistake, the white flour not the amount), uh egg, uh bit of cool water, uh little olive oil & a smidge of salt. Before I started I did a little research on the web and nearly every site stressed not to do this in damp weather unless you’re a skilled pasta maker. It was pouring rain outside and had been for over 3 weeks. I’m a six foot two inch Norwegian axe murderer being told to watch out for pasta dough? HA !! What could possibly go wrong?
Uh, well after making my volcano of flour to add the egg and other ingredients too I clearly was in over my head. Both hands were covered in this highly elastic glue that even my 4 year old son couldn’t get off my fingers. I glanced quickly to my right, eyeing the drawer with the dough scraper, I needed that first. After pulling open the drawer ever so carefully (I hate making a huge nasty mess in the kitchen; A clean kitchen is a happy kitchen), it was right there on top. I got my fingers and palms clean enough to go find the flour container and get some more flour out and on the board.
Over 20 minutes later I had the dough you see above. Towel it and let it rest for maybe 30 minutes, up to an hour.

Here’s the easy part. Wipe clean and four the machine just a bit. Wack yer dough into length-wise pieces that might fit in to the flattener part. Flatten it good, then choose either wide noodles or spaghetti type. I tried for spaghetti, not sure what you’d call the end result.

I let mine dry for about 20 minutes, I think you’re supposed to go for an hour.

Lightly salt boiling water, many quarts. Boil pasta for about 2 to 3 minutes.

After all was said and done, it was easy. I learned a lot and will be better prepared. The unbleached white flour didn’t have any tooth to it and was kinda dumb tasting. Both kids took a few bites and walked away. I ate mind cause I was hungry. Mama said I need some semolina flour, check that one for the grocery store next, eh?
Xo Xo