Now that you made the Bolognese Sauce it’s time for homemade noodles.
Once you try them, you’ll wonder how you ever lived without them!
Homemade noodles are incredibly soft and tender, a world above store-bought dry noodles.
While you may not want to make them every time you cook noodles, you really will be surprised at how quick and easy they are when you are used to making them. I’ve included directions for making them with a pasta machine and also by hand in case you don’t have one. This recipe can also be used to make other shapes, like fettuccini noodles for instance, just cut into thicker strips.
HOMEMADE SPAGHETTI NOODLES
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 eggs (large or extra-large)
pinch kosher salt
Put all ingredients in a food processor fitted with the metal blade.
Run for about 30 seconds.
If the dough hasn’t balled up add a few teaspoons of warm water and run a little more.
Knead by hand for a couple of minutes. Dough should be smooth.
If the dough is sticky, lightly flour counter and dough while kneading.
Divide dough into 4 balls, and cover with a slightly damp tea towel or plastic wrap.
Take one piece of dough at a time, and flatten into a disc.
Set pasta roller on highest setting and dust well with flour.
IMPORTANT STEP: while working with the pasta dough, make sure your pasta roller and counter stay dusted with flour. Things will go a lot smoother, trust me.
Roll dough through at highest setting.
Fold dough into thirds, pressing seam closed slightly.
Put through roller again, with the seam in the middle.
Run through the next setting, and keep repeating to desired thickness. (we like second to last setting.)
If your dough seems shaggy, no worries, it’s just too wet.
Work into a ball again and knead in a little flour.
If the dough gets difficult to handle, cut length in half.
Attach spaghetti cutter and run sheet of pasta dough through.
Dust noodles lightly with flour and cover with a tea towel while you repeat the process with remaining pasta dough balls.
Add noodles to salted boiling water. They will be done quite quickly, check after one minute.
Toss with Bolognese Sauce or your favorite spaghetti sauce.
HAND DIRECTIONS
Put flour in a mound on the counter or in a shallow bowl.
Make a well in the center of flour and add eggs and salt in the well.
Use a fork to whisk eggs in the well, and stir in flour, working in a little at a time.
Add a few teaspoons of warm water if too dry, a little flour if too wet.
Knead for a few minutes until very smooth.
Divide dough into four balls and cover with a damp tea towel or plastic wrap.
Roll each dough ball out as thin as you can on a floured surface, then cut into thin strips.
Separate strips, and dust with flour. Cover with a tea towel while you repeat with remaining dough.
Cook in boiling salted water until done.
Check after one minute, they will cook quickly.
