I've discovered something. There is nothing more zen than rolling out pasta dough on a
quiet Saturday morning while the sun spills in through the kitchen window.
I had Nina Simone warbling in my ear, a foamy espresso at my
side, and a flour-streaked pony tail on my head. I hadn’t really put much
thought into the fact that I had a lot of dough to roll, and a lot of ravioli’s
to make. That was secondary. In that moment, I was completely stress-free,
content and very, very happy.
In my pajamas, with the rest of the house still sleeping I
mixed my flour, formed a well and cracked fresh eggs into the mound. I beat the
eggs lightly with my fingers and slowly mixed in the rest of flour. The gooey
mound then got kneaded, kneaded, kneaded. My hands became pasted with clumps of
dough and flour filled the moons of my fingernails.
As I formed the dough into a soft, smooth disc and covered
it with plastic wrap to rest, I patted it lovingly. It’s not that I haven’t
made my own pasta dough before. I have. Several times. There was just something
about this morning. This dough. The reason it was being rolled. I was making
raviolis from scratch, for someone who loves nothing better on this earth.
As the dough rested, I curled up in the comfy armchair in
the living room and drank my espresso. The cats and I let the sun saturate our
skins and make us a bit more than a little sun drunk.
When it was time, I toddled back into the kitchen, climbed
up on the step stool and took down a battered, somewhat heavy box. Inside is a
favorite kitchen tool of mine. My Italian, hand cranked pasta machine.
As I cranked, the dough was squeezed like a sheet through an
old hand roll washing machine. Sheet after sheet rolled out and was laid on
floured dishtowels.
At this point, a sleepy someone made their way to the
kitchen and smiled.
To find your own zen:
Pasta Dough
4 cups all-purpose flour
4 large eggs
Pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
Mix the salt into your flour. Form a mound with the mixture. Make a well in
the middle of the flour. Add the eggs and the olive oil. Use a fork, to beat
the eggs and oil and to incorporate some of the flour.
As more flour is incorporated, use your fingers to mix in flour from the
base of the mound. As the dough begins to get gooey, start kneading using the
palms of your hands.
Once the dough forms a ball, add a sprinkling of flour to your board and
continue kneading for about 8 minutes. The dough should be smooth to the touch.
Form the dough into a disc and wrap the dough in plastic wrap. Let is rest at
room temperature for 30 minutes. Use as desired.
Enjoy!
Erin