Simple Fresh Pasta

This recipe is a complete indulgence for me. It offers you ( as the reader) nothing particularly creative or unusual. I mean, it's pasta.

But for me. Well, I got to play with this toy all afternoon.

Imperia Pasta Machine

Every girl knows you've got to treat yourself from time to time. Alongside a heap of new clothes and some make up, the most recent gift I have given to myself is this shiny, new Imperia Pasta Machine.

If you've ever tried rolling pasta out yourself (I have) you'll know it's damned hard work. Having this fella' about to give me a hand saved me a lot of time and energy to do the important stuff, y'know like surfing eBay. (Which, by the way, I held off making an account on until I realised it's the cheapest place to purchase an Imperia Pasta Machine. Now, within a week, that account has become a serious vice.)

Fresh pasta just tastes better. It's softer and smoother, yet still has a bite. Besides all that, it's just so fun to make and feels kind of Masterchefy despite being the most simplest method of cooking in the world. 

So, as I said, you won't be overwhelmed by this recipe. And you've probably had pasta like this before. But, if you're like me, you'll agree it's the simple things that are the real luxuries in life. 

And for anyone braving the rolling technique or anyone that gets as excited about pasta as me and has gone out and bought a pasta machine - this pasta dough recipe is fool proof. Works every time. 

Simple Fresh Pasta (serves 2 or 1 really hungry person)

Pasta Dough

100g 00 flour (found with all the other flours in a supermarket. Unfortunately plain is not a great substitute)
1 large egg
a pinch of salt

Pasta Sauce

1 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
6/8 cherry or plum tomatoes
6/8 basil leaves, finely chopped



To make the pasta dough

1) Weigh the flour into a bowl. Make a well in the middle and crack in your eggs and add the salt.



2) Mix together using a fork. Eventually the dough will resemble really, really dry scrambled eggs.

Warning! This can get a little messy.

3) Tip out the dough onto a clean surface and knead until smooth. (This will take about 5 minutes).

4) Cover in cling film and let the dough rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

5) Once rested take half the dough and let the pasta machine do all the hard work, taking the dough through each notch until you are on the thinnest setting that you prefer. A good measure is to see if you can see your hand through the sheets. (If you're going free hand - just get rolling!)

6) To cook - let your water come up to a boil, add salt to the water. Allow the pasta to cook on a rolling boil for about two minutes or until cooked through.

To make the sauce

1) Heat up the oil. Let the garlic fry a little before adding the tomatoes. Season to taste and add the basil. add your pasta directly into the sauce so that all the flavours come together. grind a generous amount of pepper over the top and voilà you're basically in a Piazza in Florence basking in the Tuscan sun!


// Click here to PRINT RECIPE //

I'm going to be experimenting with my pasta machine over the next couple of weeks, If you have any tips or ideas for me to try out let me know on Twitter @Sita_S_D. You can follow me on instagram too @Sita_S_D  to see what I've been making!



Until next time...