My dad was in town for the past couple weeks splitting his time between me and my brother. While I wish my mom would have come down as well, it was really nice getting to spend some one-on-one time with my dad. Before he came my mom and him called me a couple of times and told me to come up with a few ideas for him to cook while he was down here. Without hesitation I knew I wanted him to make his homemade pasta so I had him bring the pasta roller.
My dad has been making us pasta for years; it’s a recipe he learned from his Italian grandmother. In our house growing up, Sunday nights were usually ravioli and/or pasta nights. On a random weekend he would use the day to make a huge pot of bubbly pasta sauce, a few freezer bags full of fresh linguine, and of course his famous ravioli – ricotta, spinach, and beef-filled to last us a few months of those Sunday meals.
On the first Saturday that he was down here in Charlotte, we made pasta and then in his typical fashion, he grabbed a few ingredients out of my fridge and made a quick “sauce” so we’d have a couple of tasters to sample the pasta. It turned out to be so simple, yet had so much flavor – mushrooms, parsley, garlic, olive oil, and a sprinkling of parm. Since I’ll be using his pasta recipe in a few recipes coming up, I decided to post this one along with the dough. Sometimes the simplest of recipes turn out to be the ones that are the best.
Ingredients
- For the pasta:
- 2 1/2-3 cups flour (plus more for dusting)
- 4 eggs
- Heavy pinch of salt
- 4-5 Tbsp olive oil
- 1-2 Tbsp water
- For the parsley mushroom sauce:
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1/2-3/4 cup finely diced mushrooms
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 3-4 Tbsp parsley, finely chopped
- Parmesan cheese, for plating
Instructions
- Begin by placing the flour, eggs, and salt in the bottom of a mixer. Start the machine on low with the dough hook to mix. Slowly add the olive oil. Add water as needed so that the dough comes together (you may use none, you may use all). Once it starts to form a shaggy dough, increase the speed to medium and mix for about 5 minutes, stopping every once in awhile to scrape down the sides. Once the dough has formed, leave in the bowl and let stand for about 30 minutes.
- Using a pasta roller, start the roller at 1. Pick a nice size dough ball and roll it through the pasta attachment. Fold the pasta sheet and repeat. Turn the dial to 2 and repeat, 3 and repeat, 4 and repeat, and then finally the 5th dial and repeat. If you like your pasta thinner, go to 6. Place the pasta sheet on a well floured surface and repeat with remaining dough.
- Then, using the cutter blade, cut the pasta into strips. You can also use a knife and cut the pasta by hand.
- Let the cut pasta rest for about 30 minutes. You can freeze, if desired.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and drop the pasta in. Cook for 4-5 minutes, or until desired done-ness. Drain, reserving a few spoonfuls of the pasta water.
- In a medium sautee pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and let cook until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook until brown, 3-4 minutes, then season with salt and pepper. Add the pasta to the mushrooms and mix- you can add a little pasta water if the sauce is too thick and stir. Remove from the heat and add in the chopped parsley and a handful of parmesan cheese, stir to combine. Serve immediately.
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I really want to try this recipe because I’ve never seen one with so many eggs in it. My mom makes homemade pasta with, I think, more like 2 eggs for as much or more flour (I can’t remember off the top of my head). I can only imagine how rich this dough must be. Your dad’s sauce instincts are stellar. I love mushrooms in pasta!
PS: Your dad is an awesome hand model 🙂
Oh, wow! I’d love to try your mom’s version! It seems pretty egg-y but doesn’t really taste like it (or maybe it’s just because that’s what I’ve grown up on! 😉 ). I know, we love mushrooms in pasta – well, I love mushrooms in general haha.
Hahah! Thank you!!! I’ll be sure to tell him! 🙂