Scores of people across the globe love ribbons, so it is no wonder that Fettucini translates to ‘little ribbons,’ this delicious pasta is famous for a good reason!
Second, to homemade bread, there is nothing better than homemade pasta. Here’s how you can create the perfect fettuccine in the comfort of your own home.
The best noodles start with fresh ingredients
There are a few key notes to remember; fresh pasta is hands down much better than store-bought dried pasta. If you are catering a meal for your in-laws or want to impress someone, opt to make your pasta from scratch together. After all, time spent together in the kitchen is perfect bonding time.
The three ingredients required for fresh pasta are:
- Flour – The best flour for pasta is “OO”; however, a quality all-purpose flour or semolina will also work perfectly fine.
- Eggs – Large free-range eggs are a must!
- Liquid – Your pasta needs either milk or water and a glug of olive oil!
With all of your ingredients prepared, add a pinch of salt to your dough for a little extra flavor. Making fettuccine from scratch doesn’t require much more than a large work surface and a quality pasta maker to roll it out.
Experienced pasta makers often start experimenting with recipes once they have mastered the basic recipe. Try this spinach pasta dough when you are confident with your p
Basic pasta dough recipe
Try this easy recipe to make fresh pasta at home.
Ingredients:
- 500g(1.2lb) “OO” flour, or semolina/all-purpose flour
- 8.8 oz egg yolk
- 1 whole free-range egg
- 15-30 ml of milk
- 25 ml of extra virgin olive oil
Method:
Clean your work surface thoroughly; in the center, place a mound of flour. Set aside a small amount. Create a well in the flour mound center, and pour the egg yolks, egg, milk, olive oil, and salt. Begin swirling the ingredients together, using your fingers. With a swirling motion, incorporate a little more flour each time. Use a spatula or a bench scraper to fold the remaining flour in.
Scrape the dough up to detach it from the work surface. Dust the surface with flour. Knead the dough until it becomes a smooth ball; if the dough is still sticky, dust it with a little more flour and knead. Continue until the dough reaches the right consistency. It should be smooth and elastic. Do not over-knead the dough; it should take you 5 – 10 minutes of kneading. Overworking your dough can lead to chewy and rubbery pasta.
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap or a sealable plastic bag. Place in the refrigerator for 5 hours to rest.
Tip: Make the dough a day before you need it. Try not to beat the dough in a machine with a dough hook. This can lead to an overworked dough if you do not keep an eye on it. The dough should be as tender as your ear lobe!
It is all in the art of rolling
The trick to excellent fettuccine is when you roll it out. Pasta is not quite like rolling out pizza dough.
Here’s how to roll your pasta out with a pasta maker:
- Form the dough using your hands into an oval shape. Place your pasta maker on the widest setting, and feed the dough wedge through it. Once the wedge has passed through, the pasta maker folds the dough into thirds. Pass the dough through the maker 2 – 3 more times. Gradually reduce the width of the pasta maker until the pasta is your desired thickness.
- Cut the dough if it starts getting too long. If your dough is getting sticky, place it onto a floured surface, and flip it over to dust the back with flour. Fettucini should be 1mm thick.
- Attach the fettuccine cutting attachment and run your pasta through it.
- Cut your noodles to the desired length, and hang the noodles on a pasta rack to dry. The noddle surface will form a light, non-tacky skin. Rest the pasta for 30 minutes.
The hand-rolling method:
- If you are hand-rolling your pasta with a rolling pin, roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface. It should be approximately 1-2mm thick.
- Flour the cutting board regularly to ensure the pasta doesn’t stick. Cut the pasta into 5-inch wide ribbons, loosely roll them up and slice into 1/4-inch wide noodles.
- Hang the pasta ribbons on a pasta rack to dry.
Tip: Use your pasta after resting for 30 minutes, or store it in an airtight container in the fridge within 2 days. You can freeze fresh pasta for up to 2 weeks—Thaw fresh pasta in the refrigerator for 5 hours before using it as usual.
Restaurant quality pasta every time!
Homemade pasta cooks faster than dried pasta; it only needs to be placed in salted boiling water for 90 seconds to produce perfectly al dente pasta every time. Once you have perfected the art of making delicious homemade pasta try other types of pasta recipes.
Use your fettuccine in any pasta dish, from alfredo to creamy tomato sauce-based meals. Try using fettuccine instead of spaghetti on your next midweek spag-bol night!
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