A Nod to Noodles

Noodles. Pasta noodles. Simple, easy to make: pasta noodles. Flour, eggs, oil and water combine to become what some people may consider the cornerstone of an entire cuisine. Sure there are different shapes, styles and sauces to go along with them but these four ingredients are the basis of almost every Italian inspired date night ever conceived.

To be honest making your own fresh pasta, or having it served to you, is an indulgence in itself.   Imagine someone taking the time to mix the dough, letting it rest, rolling it out, cutting it and then shaping and cooking the fresh pasta compared to someone slicing open a package and dumping the contents into a pot of boiling water; if you ever get the opportunity do not look past this fact.

Recipe:

1 cup Semolina flour

1 cup all purpose flour

2 large eggs

3 tbsp. oil

3 tbsp. water

1) Combine flours, eggs and oil. Mix until uniform.

2) Add water as needed until dough is soft.

3) Wrap dough in plastic wrap and let rest for half an hour at room temperature.

4) Roll out the dough as thin as possible without breaking

5) Cut into thin strips

6) Boil in salted water for 4-6 minutes, until desired doneness is reached.

Impressing others does not have to be complicated. Making your own homemade pasta is not difficult, its time consuming. A passion for the process is required, or possibly only a desired outcome. An inexpensive date option that leads to another date, bragging rights at a potluck, or even a reconnecting evening with a loved one; whatever your reasons for taking the time with pasta, it will prove to be worth it.