How to Make Homemade Pasta

[student name withheld]

ENC3242, Technical Communication

Assignment 1: Teach a technical task

Sept. 10, 2012

HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE PASTA

Homemade pasta is one of the easiest dishes to make from scratch at home. It is healthier for you since there are no preservatives in the pasta, unlike the cardboard-like sticks you buy in the store. It is much tastier as well with a completely different texture than commercially-made pasta. This recipe uses a pasta machine for rolling and cutting the dough.

You will need the following pieces of kitchen equipment and utensils to make fresh pasta.

Electric mixer with dough hooksSharp knife

A large and a small Mixing bowlRubber spatula

Set of measuring cups and spoonscookie sheets for drying the pasta

Pasta machine

Notice on the pasta machine there are three pieces: the main roller/cutter component with the roller tension control knob, a clamp and a crank. The clamp holds the machine in place on the counter so it does not slip when you are rolling and cutting the dough. The crank fits into an obvious hole on the roller/cutter component and operates both the roller and the cutter, depending which hole you insert the crank. The roller tension control knob, usually opposite the crank, allows you to increase the tension, thereby decreasing the width of the dough, so you gradually obtain a thin sheet of pasta. Now that you are basically familiar with the equipment, begin preparing the pasta dough.

There are not many ingredients in making homemade pasta:

1 cup white unsifted flour2 tbsp olive oil

1 eggpinch or two of salt

2 – 4 tbsp water

Begin by setting up the mixer and bowl. If you are using a stand mixer, place the bowl in the appropriate position and insert the dough hooks into the mixer.

Measure the flour into the mixing bowl. In a separate bowl mix the egg, olive oil and 2 tbsp of water. Mix it until it is thoroughly blended. Turn the mixing bowl on slow speed and pour the liquid mixture into the flour. Using the spatula, scrape the dry bits into the middle of the bowl so the dough hooks can mix everything together. Add more water, a tablespoon at a time, as needed to make the ingredients form a doughy ball. When the ingredients are completely mixed, you will have a ball of dough that is working around the dough hooks. Let the mixer knead the dough like that for about 2 - 4 minutes.

When the dough is smooth and shiny, place it in a bowl, cover it with a clean dry towel and let it rest for at least 15 minutes but no more than 30 minutes. Do not skip this resting step! The resting process is essential for the gluten in flour to develop and relax, making cutting the dough much easier and making a tastier, more tender pasta.

After the dough has rested, prepare your pasta machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions. In most cases, you will secure the pasta machine to the counter with a clamp so it does not move while you are cutting the pasta. Insert the crank into the pasta machine where indicated. Turn the rolling tension knob to the lowest setting to begin.

Cut off a small piece of dough from the dough ball. Keep the remaining dough covered while rolling and cutting each section. Gently shape the dough into a rough rectangular shape. Place the dough into the pasta machine roller and turn the crank. Let the pasta machine take the dough; do not force the dough into the roller. After the first pass through the pasta roller, turn the roller tension control knob to the next setting and feed the pasta through the roller again. Continue this process until you have rolled the pasta to the desired width. Occasionally dust the dough with flour so it will continue to roll through the pasta machine smoothly.

Once you have rolled out the dough through the pasta machine, it is time to cut the pasta. Move the crank to the cutter side of the machine. Carefully feed the end of the strip of rolled pasta into the cutter, turning the crank as you do. It may be easier to cut the long dough in half widthwise when you put the dough in the cutter. The cutting machine will feed the sheet of dough into the cutters, do not force it. Continue cranking, releasing the sheet of dough and picking up the cut pasta on the other side of the machine. As you retrieve the cut pasta, which you should do as you are rolling it through the cutter, gently hold it as the remaining dough sheet comes through the cutters.

When the dough has been cut into pasta strings, place the cut pasta on a cookie sheet that has been floured with about 2 tbsp of flour. This keeps the pasta from sticking to itself while it is drying. Do not use too much flour, only enough to lightly coat the cut pasta and the bottom of the cookie sheet. Let the pasta dry for at least an hour.

Homemade pasta must be stored in the refrigerator or freezer. Place the dried pasta in an airtight container or bag and either refrigerate or freeze. Homemade pasta will keep in the refrigerator for about a week. You can store it in the freezer for several months but the sooner you cook it the better. Fresh pasta is tastier when made fresh.

NOTES AFTER INDEPENDENT TESTING

The first test of my lesson on learning to make homemade pasta revealed a weakness that I had not anticipated. The test subject had never seen a pasta machine before and required some familiarization with the machine. I added a brief paragraph in the written instructions describing the main components of the pasta machine, which helped the test subject finish the test.

I also discovered several key points missing in the instructions. These seemed like minor omissions until it was clear the pasta would not cut properly because of the omissions. I corrected the instructions accordingly. Everything else went very smoothly, though my test subject needed a couple more hands to complete the process. I think the ability to handle different aspects of the process comes with practice and use. She did tell me that my remarks about not forcing the dough into the rollers or cutters was helpful; it raised her ability to foresee where she was going and what she was going to have to do. All-in-all, the test went well and demonstrated how easy it really is to make pasta.

[student name withheld] - ENC3242, Technical Communication, Assignment 1 - Sept. 10, 2012 - 1