Making Homemade Pasta with the Kids

Now that my babies children are getting older, I have been involving them in the kitchen a lot more. When they were little, I would let them stir and mix, but usually they just had a lot of fun making messes. Now at 4 and 5, (very soon to be 5 and 6), I want them to actually help in the kitchen.

I want them to be proud that they "made" whatever meal we happen to create together. I also want them to know that I truly enjoy their company in the kitchen and that I really appreciate the help – even if messes are made!

I thought making homemade pasta as a family would be a great way to spend some time together. I had never made pasta myself, but I remember watching my mom do it when I was a little girl. I recently inherited her "Pasta Queen" and I couldn't wait to get the kids involved in this latest kitchen experiment.

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
3 eggs
2 tablespoons cold water

On a clean surface, make a mountain from the 2 cups of flour. Make a hole in the middle, crack 3 eggs into center of the flour mountain. Add 2 tablespoons water. Break up the eggs with a fork, slowly incorporating all of the flour with the eggs.

Once all the flour, eggs and water are together, start kneading. Have the kids get in on the kneading action! The dough should not be dry, add some additional water if it feels dry to the touch. Knead the dough until smooth, then divide into 2 balls.

Making Prints in the Dough

Have your kids roll the 2 pieces of dough into a flat disks with a rolling pin. Now you can start feeding through your pasta maker. (Follow directions for your specific pasta maker.) Our required starting at the widest setting, folding over and then cranking through each level. The kids loved taking turns, turning the crank.

Once your dough is cranked through the smallest opening it will be very thin. Crank it through the pasta shape that you prefer. Ours had settings for angel hair and fettuccine size noodles. Separate and allow to dry for a few minutes.

Place the noodles in boiling, salted water. Very thin noodles will only take about a minute, our wider fettuccini noodles needed between 5-7 minutes.

Serve with your favorite sauce!

Thanks for Reading!
Daniele