Oodles of Noodles

I got this crazy wild hair last night and decided that I would try my hand at something new. Can you guess what it was???

PASTA!

I’m not just talking about boiling some macaroni. I’m talking about homemade pasta! I’ve been wanting to try this for a while now, and last night I finally gave it a go.

Why would anyone want to do this? Well, I have a few reasons…

1. From what I’ve seen on TV, it looks like fun. You get to mix the ingredients with your hand right on the counter top! No bowl!

B. I’m not sure I’ve ever eaten fresh pasta, and I wanted to see what it was like.

3. I was curious to see if I could, indeed, make it.

I apologize for not having more pictures of the process. My chief camera technician was outside doing “manly” things, and I found it difficult impossible to take pictures of myself.

After mixing the ingredients and kneading the dough for a good 6 minutes (By the way, my biceps are sore today. I’m such a wimp!) I let the dough rest for about 45 minutes. Then it was time to roll and cut. I don’t have a pasta machine or any kind of fancy cutter, so I had to do all of this with my own two “Go-Go-Gadget” arms. (That’s what the Tool Man calls them because of their exceptional length and extraordinary ability to reach anything in sight.)

The easiest shape I could think of to make was fettuccine, and although they aren’t totally uniform, I think I got them pretty darn close.

Let me just say that this next picture may be a little bit disturbing. It’s me in a pair of overalls. Yikes! But just look at those knife skills.

And here they are ready for a dip in the hot tub. I served these up with some creamy alfredo sauce and some sautéed veggies. Sorry, but I don’t have any pictures of that either. I know, I know. Bad Blogger. Bad, bad, Blogger.

So, how’d it taste?

Wonderful! The pasta came out absolutely perfect. So fresh and tender. I’ll definitely make it again. The whole process was so much fun. I’m thinking of making my own ravioli next time - with a hearty meat filling. Mmmm….my mouth is watering!

Y’all might not know this, but I do have a sense of humor. Really, I do. And I think a lot of it stems from the Tool Man’s influence on me….good or bad. He’s always saying, “If people only knew how you really act. They’d like you.”

Thanks a lot, Tool Man. Thanks a lot!