25 April 2020
Food enthusiasts often love to make their meals from scratch. They often do not trust frozen or prepackaged entrees that can be purchased from the grocery store. While many people believe cooking things from scratch to be too difficult or time consuming, they may be surprised to learn that making pasta is fun and relatively simple. Delicious homemade pasta does not take a great deal of time to prepare, and many families agree that homemade pasta tastes better.
To begin making pasta, a person first needs to gather the needed ingredients. Pasta does not require any specialised or hard-to-find ingredients. Rather, most people have the needed items right in their kitchens. Most pasta recipes begin with the combination of eggs, water, and seasoning. The eggs and water act as binding agents while the seasoning adds flavor to the dish. The types of seasoning depend on the preferred taste and the recipe used. Most people use garlic, onion, salt, and pepper.
Once these primary agents are combined and whisked in a bowl, a person then can add the flour. Most people use all-purpose flour because it is durable and relatively cheap. It also has a good flavor that is needed for pasta. The amount of flour varies, although most recipes call for less than two cups. The flour and liquids should be combined until the mixture is pliable and easy to form into balls.
People generally make two to three dough balls of equal size. If a person has a pasta machine, he or she can put the balls into the machine to have the dough flattened. Otherwise, people can use a rolling pin to flatten the dough for cutting. Once flattened, it can be shaped into the desired pasta shape. Again, those who have pasta machines can put the sheets of dough into the desired cutter to make noodles, lasagna, or ravioli. People without a pasta machine can use a knife or pizza cutter to shape their pasta.
Once the pasta is shaped, a person can then boil it for dinner. To cook the pasta, a person should first boil water in a pot. The water can also be seasoned with garlic or onion for additional flavor. Once the water reaches a rolling boil, the pasta can be introduced in small amounts. People should stir it often with a spoon to prevent it from sticking to the bottom and side of the pot.
Most pasta only requires a few minutes for preparation. Boiling noodles for ten minutes or less allows the pasta to be cooked to a firm consistency that makes for an ideal pasta dinner. Popular toppings for this food include tomato sauce, cheese, or herbs. Boiled pasta can also be baked into casseroles, as with lasagna or baked ziti.
Making homemade pasta can be a fun and simple task that an entire family can enjoy. Most people have the ingredients on hand. Recipes for pasta are not difficult to follow and can be made with pasta machines.