Have you by any chance been reading someone’s blog post about how to make homemade pasta, only to remember at the last minute that you do not have a pasta machine??? Well if so I’m with you.
And have been for most of last year. Until I remembered that I am part German, that my Grandmother is German, and that germans have been making egg noodles without machines forever. They call it spetzler.
Anyways, she came to visit and midway through the holiday we starting chopping up dough into a large pot of water and made the most epic egg noodles.
Always wanting to be different, I tinkered with the recipe a little (more eggs!) – and developed a quick way to chop the dough into the pot.
Why Make Your Own Noodles?
This is a question I asked myself a few times last year when the spirit of homemade pasta started calling. Being a virgo I need things to have a practical benefit before I am allowed to spend time on it. And spending what seemed like hours to make my own spaghetti when I can buy it in a packet – just seemed to be a little indulgent! But now that I have been making it, I have a totally different tune to sing.
Homemade pasta can be quicker to make than storebought
No, I am not fibbing. If you get your chopping method sussed, making your own pasta using this method can be quicker than making a pot of regular pasta. With regular pasta you get more hands off time – but from start to finish the egg noodles actually can take less time.
You can use a good brand of flour (Organic, bleach-free etc)
Unless you going in for some seriously nice pasta, then it is unlikely your pasta is made with organic or unbleached flour. When you make your own, you have complete control over the ingredients!
Preservative and Additive Free
And naturally, seeing as you are the one in charge of what goes in, homemade pasta is free from weird chemical ingredients.
It tastes great!
It really does. : D
How does it taste…. Well I think a good description would be – fresh! Sounds silly, but I think what I am getting at is sort of the difference between freshly baked bread and crackers out of a box – which thanks to preservatives are not stale, but do not have that uber freshly-made taste either.
Lower in Carbs
Interestingly, fresh pasta is also lower in carbs that the dried store bought counterpart (once cooked). How cool is that!
So Are Homemade Egg Noodles Healthy?
There are definite health advantages to making your own pasta or egg noodles. Fewer carbohydrates per serving, the ability to make noodles out of quality flour which is not bleached – and to be able to skip out eating all of the other harmful preservative agents that are present regular pasta.
However pasta, even homemade, is still made out of flour, and even if you use a whole wheat flour it will still be a source of carbs. So if you are on a low carb diet, then you will have to check your carb count for the day before tucking in ; ).
Tips for Making Your Own Egg Noodles
Before we dive into the recipe, I just have to share my time saving tips with you!
How to Prep Your Dough For Easy Cutting
When water and flour meet, what ensues is usually a sticky business. This can make chopping dough into a pot a tricky frustrating and drawn out process. To circumnavigate this black hole of dough-all-over-the-show, I do the following after I have mixed the dough.
Shape the dough into a ball and cover with flour
This is key. Once the dough is floured it is so much easier to work with!
Lay dough onto chopping board, shaping it into a long flat strip.
(Some dough might need to wait at the back of the board to be incorporated into the strip after you have chopped some off)
How to cut homemade noodles
Next up is the cutting. Choose a knife which has a long flat blade. When cutting you might find that the strips want to stick to your knife. When this happens merely dip your knife below the surface of the boiling water in your pot to loosen. This also tends to help the next one not to stick.
How to keep homemade egg noodles from becoming tough
If you overcook your egg noodles this can make them tough. Keep in mind that they need a much shorter cooking time than their dried conventional counterparts.
How long do homemade noodles last?
Last thing – homemade noodles last well in the fridge. You can even make the dough the day before and then refrigerate until cooking. Homemade noodles can also be frozen! So if you wanna make some big batches – you can totally freeze half for an ‘Instant Homemade Pasta’ meal later in the week. : )
Homemade Egg Noodles
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Ingredients
- 250 grams of unbleached flour (I used white because I wanted that proper pasta feel)
- 4 eggs (support our feathered friends and get free range!)
- 150 ml water (you might need slightly more or less depending on the size of your eggs and the dryness of your flour)
- 2 1/2 tablespoons salt
- Pinch of nutmeg (optional)
Instructions
Before Anything Else, place a large pot of water onto the stove to boil.
Making the Dough:
- Whisk eggs and salt.
- Place flour in a separate bowl and make a ‘well’.
- Pour the egg mixture into this and combine.
- Add a water in increments until the dough has reached a very loose, yet not sloppy consistency.
- Form a ball and coat with flour.
- Place dough onto a chopping board and shape into a long flat snake of dough. (Some dough might need to be stored at the back of the chopping board).
Chopping:
- When the pot of water has reached a brisk boil, take up your knife and begin chopping off thin slivers of the dough into the pot. Dip your knife under the water if the slivers start to stick to it.
Cooking
Once you have finished chopping, let the noodles cook for another few minutes. Taste one and see!
Serving
You can serve your homemade noodles with any kind of pasta sauce. For a really fast and delicious pasta fix, simply add a generous dollop of pesto!
What I like to do once my noodles are drained is to very quickly toss them in a pan with some butter. Add some dried herbs and they are good enough to eat right out of the pot!
Notes
The cooking time for homemade egg noodles is very short because the fresh non-dried dough will cook within minutes. Be careful not to overcook the noodles, as this can make them tough.
