Is Fresh Pasta All It's Cracked Up To Be?

A friend (hello again Jenny), mentioned that her dad had just given her a fresh pasta maker, to which I excitedly informed her that making fresh pasta was a bucket list item for me. And with that, I embarked on my first pasta making experience.

Fresh Pasta

2 Cups of All-Purpose Flour

2 Whole Eggs

6 Egg yolks

1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil

Sprinkling of Salt

Albeit, my well broke early in the process as I was trying to incorporate my eggs into the flour, but I refused to panic and continued making my dough. After kneading my dough for ten minutes, I allowed it to rest for a little over an hour at room temperature while I went and picked my son up from school.

My eleven-year-old son got in on the dough-making action, and it was very helpful to have someone else turn the handle to roll the dough out evenly. The key to rolling out the pasta is to find your rhythm while you're turning that handle to avoid the dough bunching up or the pasta rolling out to thin. We immediately "fluffed" the freshly rolled out noodles in some flour to avoid them from sticking together.

So what was our verdict? Making fresh pasta noodles was not as intimidating as I had built it up in my mind. I definitely want to make more pasta in the future. Would I ever use the box of dried pasta noodles that I can purchase from my local grocery store? Definitely. Is it worth taking the time to make fresh pasta noodles? Definitely. The taste is superior even when it's the next day and you're reheating your meal. We served our fettuccini with a simple butter, garlic, pasta water, and parmesan cheese. The pasta water creates a sauce and a nice coating on the noodles, leaving them the star of the dish.

{All pictures were taken by Jenny Wilburn}