Fresh Einkorn Pasta
A wonderfully flavourful pasta with a great texture that is chock full of nutrients.
Servings:
4 for a main dish
8 for side dish
Time:
Make the dough: 10 min.
Rest the dough: 30min.
Roll and cut pasta: 20min.
Cook time: 30sec.-3 min.
Calories:
Inroduction
About this Recipe
By: Jacalyn Brull
My husband is a huge pasta lover who is also quite picky about the pasta that he eats. I do not have Celiac’s, but find that I am quite sensitive to wheat products like many others, especially if they are made from American wheat. I was trying to find a good pasta that would satisfy both my husband’s decerning pallate and my need for a lower gluten/ less sensitive option for me so that I too could partake in the pasta festivities. I was unable to find one on the market so I decided to experiment and create one myself. I am pleased to say that not only is this pasta healthier since it uses whole Einkorn flour instead of overly processed common white flour or semolina flour, but the taste is deliciosly nutty and the texture smooth with just the right bite.
Although the pasta dough recipe itself is important, I find that learning how the dough should feel is a large part of the equation. Since eggs come in all different sizes, it is vital to go by feel to know just how much flour to add as well as to know when you have gotten the dough kneaded to a good consistency. To learn more about Einkorn, check out my Blog post : All about Einkorn the Wonder Wheat
Ingredients
- 2.5-3cups organic all purpose Einkorn flour
- 4 eggs
- 2 tsp. olive oil
- 1/2tsp. salt
- 2 tsp. granulated garlic (optional)
As I mentioned above, eggs come in all different sizes so it is hard to give exact amonts of flour to eggs. I find that I use anywhere between 1/2 to 3/4 cup of flour per egg. Each egg makes about one full size portion, or a side dish portion for two. This breaks down to about 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil and garlic powder ( if you choose to add it) per egg as well.
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1
Combine the flour,salt and garlic together and create a mound/ pile on a work surface. Create a depression in the center . You can combine the ingredients in a bowl first, or on the work surface itself.
Step 2
Add the olive oil to the depressed center of the flour mound and then the eggs.
Step 3
Using a fork, begin mixing the eggs into the flour mixture starting in the center and slowly moving outward, collecting more flour into the center as you go. You can beat the eggs in a seperate bowl prior to adding them to the flour if you wish.
Step 4
Once you incorporate enough flour to create a mixture that comes together as a soft and still a bit wet dough, you now can start kneading it together adding in a bit more of the flour at a time. You are trying to get to the point where the dough is no longer sticky. There is a small window between where your dough no longer is sticky and where you mix in too much flour making the dough stiff, so knead the dough and if it gets sticky, add in just enough to stop it from sticking to your hands. Through this method, your end product should feel smooth and somewhat elastic.
Step 5
When your dough has become that supple, smooth and elastic consistency, form it into disk and wrap it in Saran wrap. You will want to refridgerate it for at least 30 minutes before using to allow the dough to relax.
Step 5
After the dough has had its time in the fridge, you are now ready to either hand cut your pasta, put it through a pasta roller or extruder. I have always enjoyed the process of rolling out the dough and hand cutting it with a knife or pizza cutter. I like to work in sections and cut my dough disk into quarters. Lightly flour your work surface as well as your rolling pin if you are doing it by hand. Make sure to continually lift your dough as you roll to avoid sticking or buckling. I roll the dough out fairly thin… probably around a millimeter or less. The thinner the roll out, the more delicate the pasta is. If you do not roll out the dough thin enough, your finished pasta will be gummy.
Step 6
Fold the lightly floured dough into thirds ( or quarters if it is very long) and use a sharp knife or pizza cutter to cut the strips of pasta. You can make very thin linguine to very wide pappadelle depending upon your taste. Once that section has been cut, open the folds back up and place the individual strips of pasta somewhere to lay out. I use a pasta dryer which is essentially a big wooden dowel with drilled holes along its length to insert thinner wood dowels. Before I had that, I would drape the pieces over a baking sheet. I know of some Nonna’s that drape the pasta over the back of a chair.
Step 7
Cook in a large pot of heavily salted water to your liking. If you are tossing into a sauce, it is best to take out just before it gets to the “al dente” phase since it will continue to cook once tossed with the sauce. It is also good to save some of that pasta water to add in while tossing the pasta to help coat the noodles and thicken the sauce.
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