Farmer Boy Recipe - Fresh Pasta

What better way to celebrate "National Pasta Month", than to make fresh pasta?
Like so many, I have spent years buying dried pasta at the grocery store.  I never knew how much better fresh pasta was, till I finally decided to make it for myself!

I have coupled the process of making pasta along with a spaghetti sauce recipe that I got from an Italian lady years ago.  But, let me first say this: there are probably as many recipes out there for "Authentic Italian Sauce" as there are villages in Italy and maybe those even vary according to the traditions of each family!  This recipe is one that Maria gave me.  She came from northern Italy.  I watched her make it and have tried to duplicate everything. But there is still some variance between hers and mine.  She made a very large pot of sauce, because she was taught that way by her mother, who came from a large family.  Her mother learned it from her mother and so on down in their ancestry.  So I have adopted the basic recipe to fit my needs, not having a large family to cook for - if you, on the other hand, have a large family to cook for, then you'll need to adjust the amounts of ingredients to fit your needs.  And, as I've said, this is only one cook's interpretation of authentic Italian sauce.

First the instructions for making fresh pasta: *Note: If you like making bread from scratch, you'll like this too!  It is more of an art than a science!

• Using flour (Whole Wheat, or other - I use Semolina Flour), make a mound (maybe about a cup) on a clean large bread board or hard surface, like a counter top
• Make a well in the center of the flour
• Add an egg (or eggs, depending on how much flour you are using) in the well
• Gently loosen the yolk, but don't beat vigorously
• Using a fork or your hands. gradually bring the flour into the egg from all sides
• Using your floured hands, begin to mix and knead the mixture
• As you knead, - you'll be looking to create a dough that is smooth, not too sticky (This may take about 10 minutes)
• Once your dough is smooth, use a rolling pin and roll it out (you may need to divide the dough into smaller portions to do this)
• At this point, the dough needs to be cut into the desired pasta - you can do this with a pasta cutting machine or with a pizza or pastry wheel or even a sharp kitchen knife - then it can be used immediately or dried

Fresh pasta cooks in about half the time, or less, than dried pasta (you'll have to experiment with that).
Also, if you use wheat flour it is lower in glycemic index, higher in fiber and protein.
For spaghetti noodles: you'll want to cook them in boiling water, "al dente" (this is Italian - it is translated as "to the tooth" and means to cook the noodles so that they are not too hard and not too mushy, just cookable).

Now the sauce recipe:

Farmer Boy Spaghetti Sauce

*Note: this is the basic recipe & can be used for a variety of dishes

Ingredients: *Note: the amounts of each will vary, according to the total amount of sauce needed (this recipe reflects my personal usage, for 6 to 8 servings over spaghetti noodles or Ravioli)

• 2 Tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 medium sized green pepper, finely chopped
• 1 medium sized yellow onion, minced or finely chopped
• 1 rib of celery, finely chopped
• 1 large can of tomato puree
• 1 can of crushed tomatoes
• 1 small can of tomato paste
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1 Tablespoon of chopped basil
• 1/2 Tablespoon of chopped, dried oregeno
• 1 Bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon of chopped parsley
• 1 teaspoon of fennel seed
• 1/8 teaspoon of mint extract
• salt & pepper to taste
• Optional: 2 links of Italian sausage, without the casing (mild or hot flavor)

Directions: Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat.   Drop in the peppers, onions, and celery to sweat. (if you are using the meat, brown it at the same time)

Add all the rest of the ingredients, cover and simmer for at least 1/2 hour. (If you like a little kick to your sauce, you can add 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper seeds.)

"We eat too much! Everyone says so! But we keep right on eating." Laura Ingalls Wilder

"Some people eat to live, others live to eat!" The Old Man in the Bib Overalls

You are welcome to tweak this recipe to suit your own tastes.  If you make this recipe, please let us all know, by leaving a comment here.  Thanks.  The Old Man in the Bib Overalls