It's always more fun to DIY. Every week, we'll spare you a trip to the grocery store and show you how to make small batches of great foods at home.
Today: Linda Xiao from The Tart Tart walks us through homemade farfalle.
I don't remember what compelled me to start making pasta, but it's become a sort of obsession of mine. There's nothing quite like the taste, of course, but there's also something addicting about the pasta-making process itself. It's all-consuming yet meditative; you get lost in the act. And there are tons of shapes out there that home cooks can make without any fancy equipment -- like these farfalle, or bowtie pasta.
More: If bowties aren't your style, try rolling out your own pici.
Pasta is actually pretty easy to make by hand. I recently got married and was fortunate enough to receive a pasta roller as a wedding gift, but I made this farfalle before that, and it came out perfectly. Just remember, as long as you put some muscle into your roll, you'll be fine.
Serves 4
2 large eggs
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup semolina flour
Mix the all-purpose flour and semolina flour together, then make a volcano-like mound of flour on your work surface.
Crack the eggs into the hollow and sprinkle with salt. Then, using a fork, gently stir the eggs, incorporating the flour from the walls of the volcano little by little. Once the dough has become workable by hand -- a fair amount of flour will have been worked in -- use your hands to incorporate the rest of the loose flour.
When the dough has come together smoothly, knead the ball for about 5 minutes. If it's feeling moist, incorporate some more flour into the dough. You want to end up with a ball that's not sticky, but still soft. Cover the ball of dough and let it relax for about 30 minutes.
Cut the dough into four pieces. Keeping the unworked dough covered, take a piece and begin rolling it out with a rolling pin, keeping its shape roughly rectangular. You want it to end up thin, about 1 millimeter in width. Using a sharp knife, slice the pasta into pieces that are about 1 1/2 x 1 inch. Along the long side, pinch each rectangle in the middle very hard. Congratulations, you just made pasta!
More: Watch Josh Laurano of Tarry Market demonstrate how to roll out pasta with a pasta machine.
Place the farfalle on a baking sheet liberally dusted with flour and keep it covered. Continue in the same fashion with the rest of the dough. If you want to dry out the pasta, simply leave it out overnight covered with a dish towel.
See the full recipe (and save and print it) here.
Photos by Linda Xiao
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