ED-Bilton 32 MAKING PASTA IS extremely cheap. Although the following ...

MAKING PASTA IS extremely cheap. Although the following fettucini recipe may look confusing, it's actually very simple and a lot of fun. You can add fresh herbs to this to make an herb-flavored pasta. Spinach is another great addition-just don't use too much. When the dish is complete, I simply sprinkle with some olive oil, lemon and chopped basil. If you add some fresh steamed vegetables and some heavy cream and ricotta cheese, you have a nice, light fettucini alfredo. Refreshing and delicious.

TOOLS

1 FORK

1 LARGE BOWL

1 ROLLING PIN OR PASTA ROLLER

1 PASTA STRAINER

INGREDIENTS

3 1/2 CUPS FLOUR

5 LARGE WHITE EGGS

1 TEASPOON SALT (OPTIONAL)

1 TABLESPOON OLIVE OIL OR WATER

You can mix Part 1 in a food processor if you have access to one. Mix for 1 to 2 minutes.

PART 1

Sift the flower into a large bowl. If you don't have a flour sifter, you can use a pasta strainer by adding the flour and gently tapping the side until all the flour is in the bowl. Create a well in the flour using a spoon or your hand. It should look like there is a hole in the center of the flour. Then pour in the large white eggs, salt and oil or water. It's important that you use large eggs and not medium or extra large, as it will effect the consistency of your pasta.

Using your fork, mix the ingredients in the bowl, starting in the middle of the bowl and moving outward slowly. You want to whisk the fork in fast, swooping circles. Gradually bring more of the flour into the eggs as you go. Don't mix it all at once or it will become clumpy, and you will have to start over.

PART 2

Take the mixed ingredients in the bowl and roll onto a lightly floured surface. Start to knead together gently. You may want to split the pasta dough into two piles to make things easier. Knead the dough for about 10 minutes, or until it becomes silky.

The pasta dough should be tough while pressing together, but it should not be too dry and crumbly or too wet and sticky. If it is too wet, slowly sprinkle with flour; if it is too dry, slowly add drops of water. The final product should not be too soft, but firm and silky to the touch.

Once you have kneaded the pasta for 10 minutes, cut into 4 or 5 small balls and loosely cover with cling wrap.

Let sit for at least 20-40 minutes.

USING A ROLLING PIN:

Working with one ball of dough at a time, unwrap on a gently floured surface and push outward with a rolling pin. Then turn and roll again. Turn and roll. Turn and roll. The pasta should start to get thin. If you have a small area to work with, you can cut in half or into fourths to make it easier to work with. You want to roll the pasta until it's almost opaque. It should be nice and stretchy and very thin.

USING A PASTA MACHINE:

Take the pasta balls and roll them through your pasta machine. Then fold and roll again 3 or 4 times. Most pasta machines have a number setting on them from 2 to 8, 2 being the widest and 8 being the thinnest. Start on number 2, and every time you put the pasta through go up a number, making the pasta thinner each time. A standard fettucini is a number 6 or 7.

To cut the pasta into fettuccini you can fold it over itself once with a little flour to separate and start cutting long, medium-size strips. Try to keep them consistent in width, but the length can vary as you wish.

To cook the pasta, boil some water with a pinch of salt. Once it is completely boiled, add the pasta and stir once or twice. Cook for 3-5 minutes. Strain, drizzle with some olive oil, a squeezed lemon and some chopped fresh basil and serve.

The pasta will taste best cooked right away, or you can refrigerate for a week or freeze for a couple of months. To store, make sure you mix with flour so it doesn't stick together, and place in an airtight container. o