Making homemade noodles in Italy is an ancient art: a sheet of fresh dough serves as the basis for many traditional Italian dishes. For example, tagliolini or tagliatelle, ravioli and lasagna. If you are interested in the question of how to cook dough for homemade noodles, then this article-guide was created for you!
Making a good fresh dough usually takes about 15-20 minutes. After this, you need to let the mixture brew for 30 minutes. Rolling out the dough will take no more than 15 minutes. As a result, in just an hour you will expect a fresh pasta, ready to cook.
Ingredients
So how to cook homemade noodles? What tricks to look out for? How to roll out the dough? Let's start with a set of necessary products: 200 g (2 cups) of premium flour, 2 medium eggs, a pinch of salt.
How to cook homemade noodles: recipe
Pour the flour onto the kitchen table or into a deep bowl and create a recess in the center. Advice for those who make homemade pasta for the first time: please use a separate bowl or otherwise you will have to clean the kitchen for a long time, and the work will be easier.
Next step: drive the eggs into a hole in the flour and add a pinch of salt. Now you need to mix the eggs with flour by hand. It is important to do this carefully until you get a uniform dough.
At this stage, if you use a separate container, then transfer the dough to the work surface, table. Now you need to continue to stir the dough, actively working with your hands for about ten minutes.
Cooking noodles at home
Please note: if the dough is too soft and sticky, you can add a small amount of flour; if, on the contrary, it is too tight and thick, dilute it with purified water. The final result depends on how well you knead the dough. This is the most difficult and crucial part of the work, but it is extremely important. If you fail to properly knead the flour with the eggs, then in the end the noodles will boil quickly and al dente will not work out what it should be. Otherwise, it can not be used in all dishes. Therefore, it is important to know how to cook homemade noodles for soup correctly.
Make a large ball of dough and wrap it in film. Leave on for 15-30 minutes. Be sure to use a film to avoid chapping the dough.
Rolling dough on a machine
If you are interested in answering the question of how to cook noodles at home, then it is likely that you also think about how you will have to roll out the dough.
Many people think that Italian women love to roll it with their hands. Our grandmothers could not do otherwise, but nowadays there are many tools that simplify this complex process. So, a machine for creating pasta or rolling dough significantly reduces the work of the cook. If you plan to cook noodles on an ongoing basis, we recommend that you start a similar device.
Technics
First, make sure your dough sheeter is firmly attached to a clean surface. Take a piece of flour mixture the size of a tennis ball and push it, flattening your palms. Pass a piece of pasta dough through the machine when it is in the mode for rolling the most dense dough. If it sticks, lightly “dust” it with flour. Repeat the process 4-5 times. The secret to making noodles is to work with the dough until it is as smooth as possible. It is necessary to pass the flour mixture through all the modes of the machine: from the thickest to the thinnest. Now you know how to cook homemade noodles for both soup and pasta.
Manually
For a novice cook, the idea of making pasta may seem scary. Indeed, how to cook homemade noodles, if you had never before had to hold a knife in your hands? This is actually not so scary! No need to even be scared of rolling out the dough. The following instructions for rolling out the dough do not imply any specialized equipment.
So, if you want to know how to cook homemade chicken noodles, then at the kneading stage you need to prepare a super-ductile dough that does not compress, returning to the opposite position when you roll it.
Just generously pour over the dough with olive oil: this technique will cover flour proteins and limit their ability to form gluten, thanks to which the dough remains more elastic. Remember to wrap it in plastic wrap and let it rest for at least an hour. Divide it into 6 equal parts.
Now you need to divide the dough into small parts and work with them separately.
So, roll one of the pieces, seasoning it with flour. Slowly stretch the dough until it reaches such dimensions: 15 cm by 30 cm. Transfer the slice onto a kitchen towel and air dry for 15 minutes.
Starting on the narrow side, gently fold the dried sheet at intervals of 6 cm, thereby creating a flat rectangular roll.
With a sharp knife, cut the dough into noodles of optimal thickness for you. Expand pasta. Now they can be used for any culinary masterpieces.
For example, want to know how to cook homemade chicken noodles? Then the next recipe is for you!
Homemade Chicken Noodles
The classic Italian recipe will be the perfect complement to a festive lunch or dinner with both family and friends. Prepare the following ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon butter;
- 2 cloves of garlic (chopped);
- 1/2 cup dried tomatoes;
- 250 ml of chicken stock;
- 1 cup cream
- 500 g of chicken;
- salt and pepper to taste;
- 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil;
- basil.
In a large saucepan over low heat, melt the butter; add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add tomatoes and 3/4 cup chicken stock; increase the heat and bring to a boil. Next, reduce the heat and simmer the tomatoes without a lid for 10 minutes (until the tomatoes are soft). The next step is to add cream. Bring to a boil; mixing constantly. Cook over medium heat until the sauce is thick enough.
Salt and pepper slices of chicken. Fry it over medium heat for 4 minutes on each side. Remove the meat from the pan. Here, bring 1/4 cup of chicken stock to a boil, stirring the juice in a saucepan. Reduce heat and add creamy sauce.
In a large saucepan, bring slightly salted water to a boil. Throw the noodles into the water and cook for 8-10 minutes. Drain, discard pasta in a colander.
Cut each chicken breast into 2-3 diagonal slices. Heat the sauce if necessary. Arrange the noodles in plates; garnish with chicken and cream sauce on top, add a basil leaf. Done! Can be served.
How to cook homemade noodles at home: tips
Presenting your attention 10 secrets of perfect homemade pasta:
- Always use fresh room temperature eggs for the test. While mixing the dough, give preference to a rough surface, so if you have a glass or marble table at home, we recommend preparing the base for the noodles either in a separate container or on a wooden board. The secret of elastic dough is a small amount (1 tablespoon) of oil.
- You can do without eggs. Just add more water to the flour. However, keep in mind that as a result, the flour product will come out less fragrant.
- To prevent the dough from drying out, make sure your kitchen has a fairly high level of humidity.
- Knead the dough for at least 10 minutes, stretch it in all directions. It should acquire a smooth and elastic structure.
- Make a ball out of dough, cover it with a rag or foil. Let rest for 15-30 minutes in a warm place.
- If you want to give the dough an interesting color, you need to add vegetables or spices to it: spinach, saffron, herbs. They are introduced into the ingredients during the kneading process.
- Divide the dough into three or more pieces. It will be easier for you to work with him.
- Add a little olive oil to the water in which you are going to cook the pasta - this will prevent fresh pasta from sticking to the walls of the pan.
That's all the secrets of how to cook homemade pasta. We wish you successful culinary achievements!