Make your own pasta with bonus: Francesca’s meatballs

3 1/2 cups of AP flour

1 tsp sea salt

4 large eggs, beaten

Using the dough hook on your mixer put the flour and salt in the mixing bowl and combine for about ten seconds. Then, add the eggs until combined. And, if the dough still appears dry, add another egg (although you may have to add more flour later when making the pasta sheets). Increase the speed slightly to “knead” the dough for about 5-7 minutes. Take dough out of the mixer, form it into a ball, wrap it with plastic wrap and let rest on the counter for about 30 minutes.

Cut the dough into eight sections. Re-wrap the other seven sections and take the first cut to the mixer. Form the cut piece of dough into a flat disc and dust with flour. Using the pasta sheet attachment on the mixer or a manual pasta roller, put the piece of dough through each setting, starting at zero until you reach setting seven. You may have to add flour along the way if the dough becomes sticky. Allow to rest on a tea towel while you do the same thing with each of the eight pieces of dough. Change the attachment on the mixer or pasta machine to the desired shape, fettucini, spaghetti etc. cutting the sheets into the desired pasta shape. Moreover, toss with a little flour and place on a sheet pan while you cut the rest of the pasta. Boil for about two minutes in salted water. Combine with your favorite sauce. See below.

(from my personal notes, so please excuse the lack of complete explanation) It’s really good! I call it a “Rogue Sauce” because it is a little different.

Ingredients

1/4 cup olive oil

1 pt cherry tomatoes

1tsp dried thyme

1tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 lg can crushed tomatoes

1/4 lg can filled w water

4 TB cold homemade garlic bread spread (emulsifies the sauce)

1 head roasted garlic, removed from skin

1/4 cup fresh basil chiffonade

splash of olive oil

 

Method

put 1/4 cup olive oil in pot on med high heat

add 1 pt cherry tomatoes whole

cover pot

let cook for 5 min

add thyme/oregano/salt

let cook for 5 min

add crushed tomatoes and water

simmer 1 hr

add garlic spread

let simmer 1/2 hr

add roasted garlic

let simmer 1/2 hr

add basil and splash of olive oil

toss with pasta

 

Easy Pesto

Ingredients

2 cups of fresh basil leaves

1 tsp of minced garlic

sea salt to taste (start with 1/2 tsp)

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

1/4 cup lightly toasted Pignoli nuts

1/2 cup olive oil (added slowly until the consistency of a sauce, then stop)

Method

In the food processor, add all the ingredients except the olive oil. Buzz for about ten seconds. Additionally, slowly add the olive oil with the processor on. Add just enough olive oil to make a sauce. I hope you like this make your own pasta with marinara or pesto recipe. Toss with hot pasta. Serve!

Here’s another Sunday sauce for pasta, my rogue sauce