Homemade Pasta (Lemon Fettuccine)

Tim and I went out for dinner the other night, which is something we don't regularly do.  I ordered the Vegetable Primavera, knowing full well that it wasn't so much a primavera as an alfredo with vegetables because I had ordered it at this restaurant before.  Usually it was rich and creamy, packed full of veggies and pasta.  But the delivered dish was so repulsive, swimming in corn oil, peppered with microwaved vegetables, and topped with canned Parmesan. I feel nauseous just thinking about it. This experience has spurred not just one post, but two to fully explain how a decent Primavera is made.  This first post will deal with the pasta, and in the next (later this week), I will explain to you just exactly how to achieve a lovely, lightly creamy, super flavorful, seasonal Primavera using these lemony noodles that looks exactly like this one:

Dried pasta is my friend, and I use it often.  However, in a dish that relies primarily (or at least equally with its sauce or other ingredients), fresh is sometimes best.  This recipe is one I like to use for my Pasta Primavera because the fresh tasting lemony fettuccine adds so much brightness and zing to the final dish, but you can always adjust it to plain fettuccine by leaving out the lemon and lemon juice (make up for the lack of lemon juice with water if extra hydration is necessary).  This particular Lemon Fettuccine is also lovely just tossed with butter or extra virgin olive oil, fresh herbs, salt and pepper.

Some pasta making instructions can seem daunting.  The truth is that it is one of the easiest things in the world to do and very difficult to mess up. Making fresh pasta is super easy - don't let anyone tell you differently. The reason it is a staple on so many old school tables is because the ingredients are meager and the work is simple.  I learned to make it on a counter top (sans a bowl) by piling the flour, making a well, cracking the eggs into the center, and mixing with my hands.  While you certainly can do this, honestly, a food processor is extremely nice because it does all the work for you.  As I was learning in this rudimentary, most therapeutic way, I also learned to pat the dough with my hands and roll it to thickness with a rolling pin, then cut it into strips or shapes with a knife.  However, a pasta machine is much, much nicer; not only does it yield a more uniform noodle, but it saves time and your arms won't ache afterward.  My el-cheapo manual pasta machine cost about $32 and came with a spaghetti and fettuccine attachment, and being the non-gadget gal that I am, I feel pretty darn good about that investment.  A drying rack is something I've never invested in though, opting for anything from wooden spoons and rolling pins to sideways cooling racks (in my pictures today) and occasionally clothes hangers to hang the pasta out to dry.  Hey, don't judge; cooking good food isn't about spending a bunch of money on something that can be done without. 

Oh, one more thing: because I use whole wheat flour in this recipe, the dough isn't immediately sticky and elastic.  Rather, it's kind of stiff.  That's okay - you haven't done anything wrong.  After it rests for a while, it's very workable and the final, plated result is lovely.

May is also #pastalove month.  Below this recipe you will find a list of the co-hosts this month and the on-going collection of pasta dishes from all over the blogosphere! 

Lemon Fettuccine
makes about 1 lb fettuccine

• 1 c unbleached white flour
• 1 c whole wheat flour
• 2 Tbs  lemon zest
• 1/4 tsp coarse salt
• 1 Tbs lemon juice
• 1 Tbs olive oil
• 3 eggs
• 1-2 Tbs water, as needed

In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the dough blade, add the flours, lemon zest, and salt.  Pulse to mix.

With the processor running, add the lemon juice, olive oil, and eggs (one at a time) down the chute.  Add water, 1 Tbs at a time until dough collects into a ball.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface.  Knead a few times (dough will be stiff).

Form into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and set aside for about 30 minutes to let the gluten do its thing (the dough will be more pliable after it rests).

Divide the dough into quarters.  For each quarter, press into a rectangular shape with your hands.  Feed the dough through a pasta machine set to the widest setting (on my machine, that number is 7).  Each time the dough comes through, fold into thirds the long way and refeed; do this about 4 or 5 times at the same wide setting.

For each successive feed, reduce the size by one; feed the dough through.  Cut the dough in half when it gets too long to handle.  Continue until the dough is roughly 1/16" thick (on my machine, I stop at the #3 setting). *If the dough is looking less than smooth during this process, sprinkle with a little flour before passing through the press.

As you are feeding the dough, it will get longer; cut the dough into a manageable length if necessary.  Feed the thin sheets through the fettuccine slicer (or slice it with a pizza cutter or sharp knife into 1/4" strips).

Lightly toss the strips in flour, shaking off the excess.  Toss over drying rack, and continue on with the rest of the dough.

Your mess should look something like this:

To dry, just leave the pasta on the rack until fully dried.

To refrigerate, leave it on the rack until partially dry, grab a bunch, lightly wrap around your hand to form a nest, place in a plastic bag and refrigerate until ready to use (a day or two is best; if you need to store it longer, freeze it up to 3 months)

To cook (immediately or otherwise), bring a pot of salted water to a rapid boil.  Add the pasta and reduce heat to medium.  Boil 3-6 minutes, or until cooked to desired tenderness.

May is #pastalove month!

Please join in on the #pastalove fun by linking up any pasta recipe from the month of May 2012. Don't forget to link back to this post, so that your readers know to come stop by the #pastalove event! The twitter hashtag is #pastalove :).

Cohosted by:

Astig Vegan, Badger Girl Learns to Cook, BigFatBaker, Bon a Croquer, Cake Duchess, Elephant Eats, Hobby and More, Mis Pensamientos, No One likes Crumbley Cookies, Oh Cake, Rico sin Azucar, Simply Reem,Soni's Food for Thought, Teaspoon of Spice, That Skinny Chick Can Bake!!!, The Spicy RD, The Wimpy Vegetarian, Vegetarian Mama, You Made That?, Vegan Yack Attack.