Serves 4.
- Prep time: 45min + pasta resting time
- Cook time: 1h
- Total time: 1h 45min
- Difficulty: Intermediate
Making homemade egg pasta is simple, especially if you have a pasta machine. It can be cooked fresh, but it can also be dried and stored for months. It cooks much faster than store-bought and tastes far superior. Serve it with pesto made from roasted beets. Aside from being healthy, it’s also simple to make and has a lovely punchy and earthy flavor.
For the pasta dough.
Ingredients:
- 300g flour
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Directions:
Make a well in the center of the flour on a clean work surface. Break the eggs into a well and add the oil and salt. Mix the egg mixture into the flour with one hand’s fingers, bringing the ingredients together into a firm dough. Add a few drops of water if the dough is too dry; if it’s too wet, add more flour.
Knead the pasta for 5-10 minutes, or until smooth. Wrap in plastic wrap and set aside for 30 minutes. Remove the dough from the plastic wrap and divide it into four equal parts. Working with one piece of dough at a time while covering the others, lightly flour the dough and roll it out with a pasta machine.
Cut the sheets into tagliatelle with the pasta cutter attachment or by hand on the countertop with a chef’s knife. Flour the cut pasta and hang it to dry on a wooden spoon across the top of a large pot or a clean clothing rack. After that, shape them into small nests and set them aside to dry for another 10 minutes before cooking.
If you aren’t cooking all of the tagliatelle right away, let the nests dry at room temperature overnight before storing them in zip-top bags or other airtight containers for several months.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the tagliatelle for 2-3 minutes after adding a generous pinch of salt. Drain the pasta and set aside some of the cooking water.
For the beetroot pesto.
Ingredients:
- 4 medium unpeeled beetrots
- 4 unpeeled garlic cloves
- 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- generous pinch of salt
- some freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon lemon zest
- juice of one lemon
- 4 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
- 50g toasted walnuts
- some pasta cooking water
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
Drizzle two tablespoons olive oil over the beets and garlic cloves. Wrap each beet in foil with one garlic clove and seal. Depending on the size, bake for 45-60 minutes. A knife or fork should easily penetrate the flesh. Allow to cool slightly so that it is still warm but safe to handle. Unwrap the beetroot and gently peel away the skin.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the pasta for 2-3 minutes after adding generous amounts of salt. Reserve some of the cooking water after draining the cooked pasta. Place the beetroot chunks in the bowl of your food processor.
Add the garlic to the food processor after it has been peeled. Combine the olive oil, salt, pepper, lemon zest, juice, Parmesan, and walnuts in a mixing bowl. Blitz until the mixture is smooth and creamy. To taste, add more salt or lemon juice to the pesto.
Thin the sauce with a little pasta cooking water. The sauce should be the thickness of thick yogurt. To serve, toss the tagliatelle with the beetroot pesto and top with walnuts, grated Parmesan, and chopped parsley.
Commentary:
Making pasta from scratch is a wonderful experience. Making pasta when you’re at home alone with a five-month-old baby, on the other hand, is a challenge. However, the sense of accomplishment you feel when you’re finally finished is indescribable. You have the feeling of a superhero. Even a deity.
You may be wondering why I would even consider making pasta in those conditions.
I did it for myself, after all.
Kneading pasta dough and then laminating and rolling it into thin strips is a lovely and almost therapeutic process. I hadn’t made pasta in ages, and to be honest, I felt I needed some alone time. Don’t get me wrong here. Spending time with the baby is priceless, but I need to do something for myself now and then or I’ll go insane.
As a result, I made pasta. And I was beyond thrilled. After that, I made roasted beet pesto. And I was overjoyed.
The pesto is creamy and delicious, with a hint of sweetness and the earthiness that beetroot is famous for. It’s vibrant and punchy, but also dark and moody. I know it makes no sense, but I’m at a loss for words. You’ll have to test it out for yourself.