Fresh Pasta

Two ingredients - just 1 cup of flour and 2 eggs - and you can have your own fresh pasta made in not much time at all. Crazy!


I came across this post over at The Pioneer Woman and knew immediately that I had to try it. Crack the eggs into a well in the flour and mix by hand. It takes a while, but its good and sticky.


I always enjoy kneading dough. Its a good way to get your aggression out. This dough was a bit of a workout for my hands too (keeps carpal tunnel at bay). After the dough is smooth and you've let it rest a little, roll it out as thin as possible. Mine wasn't thin enough. And I love my pastry mat - its much easier to clean than a sticky, doughy counter top.


I used a pizza cutter to make long thin noodles. Now I'm interested in a pasta machine.


A quick boil in salted water, and its done! My noodles could have been thinner, or perhaps cooked a little longer, but this was fun and good. I melted some butter in a sauce pan and threw in chopped tomatoes, garlic, and dried basil while the pasta was cooking. Then I tossed it all together and served topped with a dollop of ricotta cheese.


And while I was over on The Pioneer Woman Cooks, I came across a dead-easy recipe for a quick dessert: Apple Tarts. I made four smaller tarts from one sheet of puffed pastry and two apples tossed with 1/2 cup brown sugar, a dash of salt, a squeeze of lemon, and about a teaspoon of vanilla (maybe too much - they were boozy but I liked it; you might want to use less vanilla). I used canned whipped cream since I'm all out of heavy cream to make my own, and let it get all melty on the tarts.

Mac loves the canned whipped cream. We used to spray it directly into my parents' dog's mouth, and Mac has taken up that torch. He can sense when I've even just touched the can in the fridge and comes running. Then he sits at my feet and acts cute, looking up at me with eagerness in his eyes.


See? Its a little blurry since he was so excited he could barely contain himself, but just look at those bottom teeth sticking out. He's already pulled his jowls back in anticipation!.