Finally, Fresh Pasta

It's finally happened...I made pasta from scratch. I thought nothing could shake my love for dried pasta. But this first attempt was pretty darn delicious.

I used Miss Stephanie Izard's recipe for fresh pasta, and to be honest, it started out a little hairy. First of all, I started the process at 8:15pm, already hungry. The first step is to make a well in the flour into which you pour your eggs and olive oil and water. But unfortunately, my well was a bit structurally unsound, and since I was doing this on a flat surface and not a bowl, all the water leaked out and dripped onto the floor. I had to add a little water as I mixed the dough with my hands, a very sticky process. Then my reserved 1/4 cup of flour fell off the counter and landed upside down on the floor. Oh well! Sometimes you have to make a mess. I had my doubts but I didn't let myself get too frustrated.

Also, I don't own a pasta maker so I improvised and rolled the dough out myself until I thought it might be thin enough, folded the dough loosely, and cut it into strips. I was wary of how soft the noodles were, but once they were cooked they turned all silky and luxurious. I was so surprised!

I tossed the pasta with a quick tomato sauce I made while the dough was in the fridge, and voila! A yummy, completely homemade pasta dinner! (And it only took me until 10pm to get dinner on the table, without the luxury of a pasta maker to do the dough-rolling for me.)