If you’re on the lookout for a homemade pasta recipe, then this is the recipe I find the most optimal and I would like to suggest.
This is a two-part recipe: one for the pasta and one for the sauce. The sauce, a recipe from my grandmother (she’s Italian in spirit, Swiss in real life), is a go-to recipe at my house on a regular basis. It’s easy to make, can be made in advance, is inexpensive, vegan and freezes well. You can use the sauce on any pasta you like, as it is extremely versatile.
I like making fresh pasta. My family and I made this a lot during the pandemic, but it’s still something that we do on the weekends. Making pasta from scratch takes a bit more time, but it’s not difficult and totally worth it. It’s also fun to do with friends — the more, the merrier.
For sauce:
Ingredients:
1 16 oz can of crushed tomatoes
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 small celery rib, diced fine
¼ of an onion, diced fine
1 small carrot, diced fine
2 cloves minced fresh garlic
1 tbsp dried Italian herbs
1 bay leaf
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
¼ cup chopped fresh basil for serving
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil as needed
Parmesan cheese for serving
To a hot saucepan, add two tablespoons of olive oil and the carrot, celery, onion, Italian herbs and bay leaf. Cook for three to four minutes. Add tomato paste and stir to incorporate. Add crushed tomatoes and rosemary and season with salt and pepper. Simmer for 30 minutes and adjust seasoning if necessary.
For the pasta:
Ingredients:
2 cups of all-purpose flour
1 cup of water
1 egg
1) Add the egg and water in a bowl and whisk until combined into a mixture. Next, create a well in the flour and add the mixture gradually until combined, little by little, until well incorporated with no streaks of flour. Knead the dough until it is smooth and bouncy for approximately 20 minutes.
If it’s too sticky, add flour.
If it’s dry, add water.
2)Roll the dough out onto a floured surface into a thin sheet. Fold the dough in half and then in half once more. Roll it out into a thing sheet again. Cut the dough with a knife or pizza cutter into the desired shape, like spaghetti.
3) Boil pasta in salted water for approximately three minutes. Remove cooked pasta and rinse under cold water to prevent overcooking. Reserve about one cup of cooked pasta water.
4) Add desired amount of pasta to a sauté pan with a ladle or two of pasta sauce and simmer.
Pour in a small amount of the pasta water and continue to cook for one to two minutes over medium heat until the sauce is the desired consistency.
5) Serve immediately with chopped basil and parmesan cheese.
Enjoy!
