Gluten Free Pasta

Fresh pasta takes a bit of work compared to its dried and boxed alternative, but it is well worth the time and effort. In fact, with the proper tools, and a few easy steps, it can be ready to cook in 50 minutes. Moreover, the dough can be wrapped tightly and placed in the refrigerator for up to a week, and the noodles themselves can be hung to dry for several hours prior to cooking without loosing their freshness.

The more difficult aspect of this experiment has been our quest to find a tasty gluten free alternative. Although we eat gluten free, we love our gluten. If it doesn't taste just like the traditional pasta, we would rather forego pasta altogether. But that is no longer necessary. What follows is a gluten free pasta that even the most discerning palate will not be able to tell the difference. Moreover, it's fresh! The great thing about this recipe is that all of the ingredient measurements are the same whether you make it gluten free or not. We have discovered a new brand of gluten free flour called Cup 4 Cup. As the name indicates, it is a premixed blend of cornstarch, white rice flour, brown rice flower, milk powder, tapioca flour, potato starch and xanthan gum that can used, "cup for cup," as a substitute for wheat flour. We have found that this is not entirely true for all recipes that call for flower, but it works marvelously for pasta. Enjoy!

8 servings (will vary upon the type of noodle and/or dish)
Time: 50 minutes

2  cups flour (use "Cup 4 Cup" for gluten free alternative)
    1/4 cup extra flour in case dough is too wet
4  large eggs
2  tablespoons olive oil

1.  On a clean surface, form the flour into the shape of a bowl. In a separate bowl, lightly whisk the eggs together. Place the eggs and olive oil in the center of the flour and slowly begin to incorporate the flour into the egg with a fork, starting with the inner rim of the well. As you incorporate the eggs, keep pushing the flour up to retain the shape of the flour-bowl.

2.  Continue to knead the flour into the dough, adding extra flour if it is too sticky. You should be able to form the dough into a slightly elastic ball without it sticking to your hands (a little stickiness is normal). Its consistency should be something like play-doh (before the play-doh gets dried out!).


3.  After you have achieved the proper consistency, tightly wrap the dough in plastic and place it in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes. This allows the dough to rest and come to an even temperature.

4.  After the dough has rested for at least 20 minutes, you're ready to make your pasta. There are different ways to do this. You may use a hand crank pasta roller, but by far the easiest and quickest way is with a pasta roller attachment to your kitchen mixer. This allows you to set the speed and leaves both hands free to feed and catch the pasta. Either way, begin with the pasta (or lasagne) roller, adjusting it to its thickest setting.

Cut the dough into eight even pieces. One at a time, feed the dough into the roller, catching it as it comes out. If it breaks or its edges become jagged, no worries! Just fold the dough in half lengthwise and put it through the roller another time until it begins to even out. If it sticks, dust the noodle with flour between runs. Continue to adjust the roller setting until you reach the desired thickness of the particular kind of pasta you are making. For lasagne, setting 5-6 is adequate; for fettuccine or spaghetti, 4-5 seems to work the best.

5. At this point, you have flattened your dough and are ready to cut your pasta. If lasagna, your noodles are ready. If ravioli, you're ready to stuff and cut the ravioli. If spaghetti or fettuccine, you're ready to cut the noodles. For this, you may either cut them by hand or with a mixer attachment. If by hand, gently roll up your sheets of pasta like a carpet. Take a sharp knife and gently cut the rolled pasta into strips, whatever width you desire. Unroll the strips and you have your pasta.

If you are using an attachment, it is as simple as feeding the pasta through the cutter. Catch the pasta and set it aside on either a plate or a rack until you are ready to cook it.

6.  After all of the pasta has been cut, it is ready to cook. In a large pot, boil enough water to cover the pasta. Add salt, but not oil. Oil should not be necessary and may prevent your sauce from adhering to the noodles. Gently add the pasta. Cooking time varies, depending upon the thickness of the pasta. Usually, however, when fresh pasta begins to float it is done. Cook to al dente and gently remove from the water.

And remember, save some of the pasta water for your sauce. Enjoy!