Culinary School Secrets: Fresh Pasta Recipe

Although dried pasta offers convenience and speed in a last-minute weeknight dinner, sometimes there is no substituting that fresh-cut taste. Made with flour, eggs and a pinch of salt, you don't even have to leave your pantry for wonderful fresh pasta. Pasta differs from pastry items, in that you want to knead the dough as much as possible. This allows gluten to develop in the dough, which gives the pasta texture, body, and that wonderful "al dente" bite. To ensure this occurs, knead the dough by forcing the heel of your hand down and forward through the ball of dough, then folding it onto itself and rotating the dough 90 degrees. Many people make the mistake of kneading too little, simply because they do not know when to stop. When the pasta is firm, elastic, and extremely smooth on the outside, it is done. A general rule of thumb: 15 minutes is usually fine, but when you think you're done kneading, knead for five minutes more. While, yes, heavy kneading is involved, I think filling my own ravioli with whatever I please makes up for it! And, as with most things, the more you practice, the faster and better you will get!