My Experience

The biggest issue, though, was the fact that the dough was impossible to roll out. It wouldn't roll thinner than a half an inch. I didn't have a pasta maker so I was tired from rolling the dough by hand. At one point, I gave up and decided the pasta was rolled thin enough. My mom looked at it and said it would get thicker when I put it in the water and so I needed to roll some more. I tried but when I was again unsuccessful, I cut the dough into long strips so we'd have fettucini. I put the dough in the boiling water and it didn't take long for me to realize that my mom was right. Floating in the water was the most unappetizing pasta I had ever seen. I didn't get to serve my family a delicious homemade meal that night, but I did learn that this was going to be a lot harder than I had initially anticipated. 

With so many options, I decided to narrow down what I was looking for. I wanted a dough that would be easy enough for me to roll out by hand since I didn't own a pasta maker, so I felt that my dough should have olive oil. Also, I get my ingredients courtesy of my mom's pocket, so I wanted a recipe that would use the whole egg rather than wasting six egg whites a batch. Finally, I wanted to make a dough that would have to rest for a max of 30 minutes, that way the process isn't too time-consuming. 

Using this information, I started my search. Little did I know my search wouldn't really end. Throughout the months that I cooked up a pasta storm, I continued to try new recipes. With about a month left of my project, I discovered one that I loved and still use today. This recipe was blessed to me by Rick Martinez, who wrote an article on Bon Appetit in 2016. You can find it on my recipes page under 'Classic Dough'. Even though I didn't use the same recipe every time, I still was able to get a pasta dough that I would like every time because I knew what I was looking for. I actually enjoyed changing it up every time; it added a sense of surprise.

The process of making pasta dough starts with combining the ingredients. Traditional pasta-making combines the eggs and flour in a well and mixing but I find this process to be messy and a lot harder to perfect. Instead, I use my lovely Kitchen Aid to amalgamate my ingredients into a nice dough. I throw in my measured flour, eggs, salt, and oil (if in the recipe) and let the dough mix for about five minutes or until it forms into a ball. Make sure to use the dough hook if using a stand mixer like me; the dough will not form into a ball otherwise. 

Some say to sift flour before mixing the dough. I don't think this is necessary and usually don't do it. I do, however, mix my flour with my salt before putting it in the mixer to ensure that the salt will be evenly spread. I also recommend cracking your eggs into a small dish before adding them to your mixture. Multiple times I have cracked an egg into the bowl and agonizingly watched a small white shell fall in, just to be mixed away until I can no longer see it. 

Once a ball forms, I take the bowl from the mixer and put the dough on my counter. Make sure the counter is floured because the dough could be sticky. I dust some flour over the dough and begin to knead for 5-7 minutes.

Kneading to Know how to Knead Right

Another one of my challenges was figuring out how to properly knead my dough. This seemed like a small issue at the time; for some reason, I thought I would automatically know how to knead. Of course, I was wrong, and my dough often got mangled and torn by my horrific kneading job. So I headed to YouTube. I watched a couple of videos on how to knead properly and quickly learned. To knead properly, you use the heel of your hand to push the dough forward. You turn it 90 degrees, fold the dough over itself, and push again. Then repeat the process for 5-7 minutes. Even though this complication was a quick fix, the results changed my dough dramatically. I highly recommend taking the time to learn how to knead properly to substantially improve the outcome of your dough.

Getting Your Pasta in Shape

The next step after kneading is rolling and cutting your pasta into your desired shape. If you are rolling the pasta by hand, it is much more difficult than using a pasta machine. Pasta sheets need to be rolled out to be less than 1/8 inch thick; not an easy feat. So trust me, get ready for the workout of your life. The dough needs to be layered with flour on the top and bottom to prevent it from sticking to your cooking surface. The rolling pin should also be floured lightly or else the pasta will come up with the pin. Cut the dough ball into quarters so you don't have to roll out all of the dough at once. 

Some pasta shapes require the dough to be rolled in sheets such as fettuccini. In this website, I will mostly address how to make fettuccini because my attempts at other pasta shapes did not go well. 

Roll your pasta from the middle out. Turn the dough 90 degrees to roll in the other direction. Flip the dough every once in a while and re-flour to ensure the pasta will not merge with your table. A hard part of this process is making sure the dough stays flat. Most likely, some bubbles or folds will appear and you need to flatten them before continuing to roll. If you don't, they will create a fold in the dough that can't be fixed. Once the dough gets thin enough that you can see your hand through it, it is fully rolled out!

A few times I did try to make strichetti, which is the bow-tie pasta. I bet you're thinking, "isn't that farfalle?", and yes, farfalle is bow-tie pasta too. Strichetti does not have ridged edges though. To make strichetti, cut out rectangles that are 3/4 inch by 1 1/4 inch. Fold over the horizontal way but stop when you get halfway through and fold back. Learning this process is best accompanied by a video you can follow along with.  Making a lot of strichetti does take a while but definitely pays off. I made strichetti when I was making mac and cheese because it is impossible to make macaroni by hand. 

Some people decide to invest in a pasta machine because it saves a lot of time and makes much more uniform pasta. About three months into my project, my mom suggested I get one. I bought an Atlas 150 because it was more affordable than many of the other options. It has a hand crank that is used to flatten the dough and even cuts it into linguini with a second attachment. When it came, I was so excited that I ripped the box open the second it was placed on my doorstep. After whipping up a batch of dough, I roughly rolled it with a pin to prepare to put it in my new contraption. I started to insert the dough into the opening and cranked the handle. I was stunned when the pasta didn't budge. My affordable, brand-new, pasta machine didn't work. Devasted, I told my mom and she tried to help me but it was hopeless. If I did force the dough through, it got torn and curled. Luckily, the linguini and spaghetti cutting attachments still worked! 

If you are thinking about getting a pasta machine, go all in and get one that you know will work. Otherwise, you will be like me with a machine that only half-works. Kitchen Aid has pasta machine attachments for their stand mixers. In my opinion, this is the best option out there. It is on the pricier side but will change the way you make pasta forever. Below there are two videos: one showing my pasta machine (not working, and the other showing my uncle's Kitchen Aid pasta machine. 

Cooking it Up

You've made it to the last step! Cooking fresh pasta is much easier than cooking dry pasta because it only takes about 30 seconds. After your water is boiling, make sure to add some salt. Remember that there is also salt in the dough so it doesn't have to be too much. Here are some examples of how much salt should be poured in:

Then, gently place your pasta into the water. I stir them around when first put it all in to ensure that none of it is sticking together. Keep a close eye on your pasta because it'll cook quickly. You can tell it's done when it starts floating to the top. When finished, drain your pasta, drizzle a little olive oil on it, and enjoy! You can see my recipes page for delicious plates you can make with your tasty pasta.