Oh hey there!  Today we're talking about pasta!  Homemade pasta to be exact.  Don't be scared, it's way easier than you might think!

Pasta is simple.  You take flour, eggs, salt, and oil.  Add bit of garlic.  Toss in some basil.  And it turns into magic.

This pasta comes with the sweetest story that I never want to forget.  My grandpa was in the kitchen a few months ago at the Farm, just as Jordyn and I were cutting pasta noodles for supper.  We were maybe slightly panicking (and laughing) as we realized that we couldn't find our pasta tree  to hang the noodles, and instead started placing the noodles all over the countertop.  It was a gong show, and there were noodles everywhere.  Fast forward to a couple weeks ago, my grandpa shows up with a large brown bag, and a grin on his face.  He handed us the bag and said that there was one for each of us.  Intrigued, Jordyn and I peeked into the bag and immediately pulled out two new pasta trees!  My grandpa is an avid woodworker, and after seeing our pasta plight weeks before, he decided to build us our own homemade pasta trees!  They even disassemble for easier storage.  You can see it pictured below!  I love handmade gifts, and will always think of him whenever we make pasta!

I've always wanted to make a little pasta volcano, and it was strangely therapeutic mixing the flour into the egg, but most times Jordyn just mixes it all in a bowl instead of on the counter like the photos show.  Both ways work great, so feel free to do whatever appeals more to you.

Garlic & Basil Pasta Noodles

yields: 4-6 servings

ingredients:

4 eggs

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups flour

1/4 tsp salt

2 tablespoons dried basil

1 tablespoon oil
 

directions:

In  blender, blend together eggs and garlic.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together flour, salt, dried basil, and oil.  Add egg mixture and stir until the dough starts to come together.  Place onto a lightly floured surface, and knead for 8-10 minutes until smooth.

Seal dough in a plastic bag for 30 minutes at room temperature. (Resting the dough helps it become more elastic-y and ready for flattening!)

Cut into pieces equal to about 1/3 of a cup, and run each piece through a pasta maker according to your pasta maker instructions.  For ours, we started on the widest setting, and flattened it on each level twice, so it became flatter and flatter, and then chose which width we wanted to cut the noodles into.

Hang noodles on a pasta tree to dry for about 10 minutes.  Immediately cook noodles, or place into a plastic freezer bag and keep in the freezer until you're ready to use it.

Cook for 3 minutes, or until desired doneness. **Please note: fresh pasta cooks so much faster than dried pasta!

Serve with your choice of sauce, we used the alfredo sauce from this recipe.  Or you could just drizzle with melted butter or a bit of olive oil.  Top with fresh parmesan.

Happy Pasta Making!

-Kelsey (& Jordyn)