Fresh Pasta
An eggless fresh pasta recipe.
Ingredients:
2 C semolina flour
1/2 tsp salt, plus more as needed
1/2 C water
1 tsp olive oil, optional
Instructions:
1. In a mixing bowl, hand-sift the flour with the salt. Add the water and knead to form a stiff dough, 1 to 2 minutes.
2. Lay the dough out on a floured surface and roll it flat using a rolling pin. Fold and roll the dough many times, adding flour to prevent sticking; folding helps form a protein structure that will allow the dough to stay together through the cooking process. If using a pasta roller, gradually decrease the thickness of the dough to the desired final thickness. If you don't have a roller, well...just wing it. Italian grandmothers do it all the time!
3. If you want to make stuffed pasta, such as ravioli, you should also add 1 teaspoon olive oil to help the pasta stick to itself. Serves 6.
*Add 1/2 C pureed spinach to make spinach pasta. Make sure to drain well and may need to decrease water.