Anticiplate

My arms are tired, and it has nothing to do with my new commitment to work out. Yes, I actually have to make a commitment to myself to work out now that I don’t exercise for a living. Stop laughing. You know, your body goes to shit when you stop moving and then eat/cook for a living.

By. the. way.

I never thought it would get to this point, but alas…

But, no, my arms are tired because I have FINALLY used Chef Matt’s method (slash Thomas Keller, slash Deb at Smitten Kitchen) and made my own pasta dough! It has been a long time coming. This summer was my own personal nightmare of attempt, after attempt, to make pasta dough. I have seen Chef Matt make his fresh pasta, many times. Using his long pointer finger, he would swirl the six yolk and a full egg into eight ounces of flour, incorporating a bit at a time. It looked so easy as he began to create the pasta ball, pushing it forward with the heels of his hands and recreating the ball. Repeat.

I would never get to make the actual pasta, but always get the task of rolling out the dough out (which I believe is the hardest part).  It would usually end up being too long of a sheet of pasta, up to five feet, which I couldn’t manage with my long arms and awkward movement. I would be in a tornado of pasta, wrapped around my arms as they would lift the sheet high, and I  then  start to break on the edges or roll with a swirly texture. Sometimes I could make it work, but mostly I would have to be rescued, having Matt or Manu fix my five minutes of rolling disaster. Their silky yellow pasta dough was always in danger with me.

My last attempt at pasta was with Manu this past summer. It was actually right after I decided to retire. He starts his pasta much differently than Matt, in a food processor, rather than in a flour well. I was, of course, told roll it out with the pasta machine. I started to flatten the dough so that it would fit through the pasta maker, and Manu looks at me and says, “Stage, this is not Play-Doh.” So, I stopped kneading it, as Chef Matt had taught me, and started to roll it through the pasta maker. I had forgotten to cut the dough in half, spent way too much time trying to push it through a space that was too small, and I ended up having a huge piece of dried out pasta, cracked on the edges that Manu could not salvage. They had to call Tavolata, and have Marshall, the pasta guru, bring us a three pound batch. Humiliation.

After that, you could not have convinced me to make fresh pasta. I practiced a bit a Tavolata when I ’staged’ there, using their huge commercial size machines, which, I have to admit, is much easier than doing it by hand. That gave me a bit of confidence. And, one night, I actually had to make Tagliarini on the fly because they had run out upstairs! My “nests”, or bundles, were ugly, but the texture and taste was perfect.

So, when I got a gift certificate to Williams Sonoma, I decided it was high time for my four-year-old cherry red Kitchenaide to get a friend. A pasta making attachment. My mixer actually turns four tomorrow! Four years from the day I got married to Erik. Yes, it is our four year anniversary (big smile).

Fourteen eggs later, and 1/4 of the pasta dough thrown out. I did it. Finally.

It is actually easy but requires skill and a method, like shucking oysters or chopping a shallot. And, I can’t believe I let my lack of confidence get in the way of me and this silky, tender pasta! Shame on me.

Total time (including kneading and resting): 2 hours

Serves 2

*Adapted from Thomas Keller, Matthew Fortner, and the fabulous Deb at Smitten Kitchen

8 ounces all-purpose flour
6 large egg yolks
1 large egg
1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil

Scoop your flour onto your very clean counter and create a flour well in the center by using the back of your largest measuring cup. The ring around the well should be about 1-inch wide and the well should be big enough so that all of the yolks don’t slip out of the side.

Dump the egg yolks, egg, and oil into the well. Use your pointer finger to poke each of the egg yolks so that they break apart. Still using your pointer finger, begin turning the eggs in a circular motion, keeping them within the well and not allowing them to spill over the sides. This circular motion allows the eggs to gradually pull in the flour from all of the sides of the well; and it is important that the flour not be incorporated too rapidly, or dough will be lumpy and hard. Keep moving the eggs in a circle while you slowly incorporating the flour, you should feel the flour on the bottom of your fingertip as your incorporate. Avoid feeling the smooth surface of your counter. Do this for about three minutes until the egg yolks and egg are thick and heavy, like pudding. Using a pastry scraper, occasionally push the flour in a circular motion toward the eggs making the well smaller; the eggs should continue to stay in the flour well. The mixture will thicken and lift from your counter. Your hand will get tired. Get over it. It is worth it.

Begin incorporating the remaining flour with your pastry scraper by lifting the flour towards the dough so that it begins to form a ball. The dough will look broken and floury, but do worry. Keep incorporating! Bring the dough together with the palms of your hands and form it into a ball.

Knead the dough by pressing it in a forward motion with the heels of your hands. Do not fold it over itself like bread dough, this will make the pasta dough break and not have a good texture when you roll it out. Keep repeating the “form a ball and push with the heal of your hands” process until the dough is moist, and the flour is incorporated. Push the ball aside, and clean any of the leftover floury dough mixture that was not incorporated off of your counter with your pastry scraper.

Dust the clean work surface with a little flour. Repeat the Knead the “form a ball and push with the heal of your hands” process for about 15-20 minutes. You know you are done with the dough is silky, smooth, and wants to slightly bounce back if you were to press a hole in it. And, when your arms are so tired they could fall off.

You cannot over-knead this dough, so go for the full twenty minutes. I give you permission to complain.

Double-wrap the dough in plastic wrap or a damp towel to ensure that it does not dry out. Let the dough rest for at least 30 minutes but preferably up to 1 hour before rolling it through a pasta machine.

I have learned many methods of rolling my dough through the pasta machine, but everyone has their own way. Start on the largest setting, and fold the dough over once after running it through. You should repeat this on the largest setting about three times.

Then, slowly start to thin out the dough by cranking the setting smaller and smaller until you start to see through the dough but it does not break or look wavy. The dough should have an even texture throughout.

Let the silken sheet rest under a damp towel as you change your attachment. Pull the pasta sheet through whatever shape makes you happy. Use as soon as you can!