Homemade Pasta and Rustic Tomato Sauce

[scene opens to a candlelit table with a rose lovingly laid in front of my pistachio Kitchen Aid] Bean, serenading mixer, "Have I told you lately... that I love you?"

Ok, so although I don't use it that often, I in fact love my Kitchen Aid. And my husband loves the pasta extruder attachment! Tonight we used our fancy kitchen power tool to make some yummy fresh pasta from scratch. It's a two man operation; he runs the machine, feeding it dough and cutting off the strands, while I separate the bits and lay them on out the damp paper towels. It's good for a laugh- very similar to the classic 'I Love Lucy' in the candy factory! But Adam did a great job making the dough- I was busy, um, being on the Nest while he got the operation running.

And of course, when having fresh pasta, you can't just slap some jar sauce on it. It's like, sacrilege or something! So while the pasta squeezed out, I simmered a quick and rustic sauce. Slap some fresh Romano cheese on there and you've got a meal. It was all quite delicious!


Fresh Pasta
Basic Egg Noodle recipe from Kitchen Aid pasta manual

• 3 Eggs
  
• Water
  
• 2 3/4 C. Flour

1. Crack the 3 eggs into a glass measuring pitcher, filling with water until you have it 3/4 C. full.
   
2. With your wonderful Kitchen Aid with dough hook attachment, put the flour into the bowl. Get the dough hook rotating on speed 2 and slowly pour in the egg/ water.
   
3. Mix for 30 seconds and then switch over to the flat mixer blade and mix on 2 for another 2 minutes until you get a thick dough when you squeeze a handful of the mixture. (It will look crumbly in the bowl.) Add more water in very small quantities if your dough does not feel elastic-y enough.
   
4. Gather up the dough and knead it by hand on a cutting board for a minute or two. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it sit for 15 minutes.
   
5. Get your pasta parts hooked up and then start extruding! If you've got this attachment, take this moment to follow the manual instructions. It works real good.
   
6. Boil up a large pot of water and dump the pasta in. It only takes about 60 seconds to cook, so be ready to drain it quickly. Moisten with oil and eat warm.

Freshly made pasta hanging out on damp paper towels


The man behind the plan (who says "Don't put me in your blog!!!!")


Rustic Tomato Sauce

• 1 28 oz. Can of Diced Tomatoes
  
• 2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
  
• 1 Tbsp. Balsamic Vinegar
  
• 1 Tbsp. Red Wine
  
• 1/2 - 1 C. Sliced White Mushrooms
  
• 1 Bay Leaf, roughly chopped
  
• 2 Tbsp. Sugar
  
• Dashes of Oregano, Pepper, Salt, Garlic Powder (too lazy to chop some), and Hot Pepper Flakes

1. Put all the ingredients in a sauce pan, stir, and simmer for about 20 minutes.
   
2. Remove the bay leaf before using on fresh pasta.