Make Your Own Pasta!

People often go on about making your pasta like its rocket science or something, but -- if you can make a pie crust--- pasta is easy! Making your own is cheap, controls ingredients and makes a "filler" into a healthful addition to any meal.

Basic Pasta

1 cup flour for each portion
2 egg, or 4T. water, or 4T silken tofu for each portion

This is an art rather than a science. On a piece of waxed paper (we frugal use recycled cereal box liners) place enough flour for each portion. Make a hollow in the middle, and add the liquid. Mix until the ball forms a firm ball. You may need to add a bit more liquid. The dough should be stiff. If you have time let it rest for a half hour, but if you don't just proceed. Knead for five minutes. Roll out on a floured surface (just add more flour) with rolling pin (a jar if you don't have rolling pin) to 1/8th to 1/16 inch thick. Add more flour to dust it. Cut into noodle strips, or squares if you want to make filled shells.

Meanwhile boil a big pot of salted water with a dab of oil tosed in to keep the noodles from sticking.

Toss the finshed pasta into the pot and cook five minutes. It will rise to the surface when done.

Add sauce --and EAT!!!


Filled Shells
You can make filled raviolis or filled shells by simply adding the ricotta from the Make your own Cheese article. Simply spoon the soft cheese into the middle and fold and seal the edges with a fork for raviolis or filland pinch the sheel top together for filled shells. Heat in sauce to cook the pasta.

Colored or Vegetable Pasta

Pasta comes in colors and is even more healthful. The colors came from the addition of pureed vegetables for 2/3 of the egg. To get certain colors follow below:

red:pureed cooked beets
orange: pureed cooked carrots
red/orange: tomato sauce
green: pureed cooked spinach (or other greens)
yellow: pureed yellow squash

Mix same as above. My kid who would die before he would eat spinach --loves green pasta! This is great way to add extra veggies to your diet!

Potato Pasta

Another veggie filler for some of the eggs is to add mashed potatoes for a large part of the eggs. This makes gnocchi or potato pasta.

Pasta goes well with many ethinic cusines. The most common are Italian, Thai, and Chinese.

Check out the sites below for more ideas on what to put ON your pasta.

Bella Italian Cooking

http://www.bellaonline.com/site/italianfood

Bella Chinese Cooking
http://www.bellaonline.com/site/chinesefood

Bella Thai Cooking
http://www.bellaonline.com/Site/ThaiFood

Make your Own Tofu
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art29434.asp


For more ideas Check out these Frugal Living Books!
Complete Tightwad Gazzette
The Complete Tightwad Gazzette

Declare Your Finanacial Independence
Declare Your Financial Independence

Complete Cheapskate
Mary Hunt's Complete Cheapskate

Miserly Moms
Miserly Moms

You Can Afford to Stay Home With your Kids
You can Afford to stay Home WIth your Kids