Fresh Pasta with Breadcrumbs & Tomato Sauce

Homemade Pasta. At the risk of painting with an overly broad brush, I’d wager that almost anyone who grew up with Italian-immigrant parents has some variation of the “pasta hanging in the laundry room” memory – and I’m certainly no exception.

Homemade pasta is one ‘big’ way to kick up your pasta recipes a fair few notches, and there’s just something supremely satisfying in knowing that you handcrafted the pasta in your plate. Also, let’s be real, this culinary feat will impress you friends and family like very few others will. So, with the right tools, a little patience, and – yes – a little practice, homemade pasta can be one of the stars of your culinary repertoire.

Fresh Pasta with Breadcrumbs & Tomato SaucePhoto byLiving the Gourmet

Ingredients

Homemade Pasta:

• 2 cups AP flour or 00 flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 3 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• **1-2 tablespoons water

For the Bread Crumbs:

• 1 1/2 cups of Italian style bread crumbs - (if you don’t have seasoned bread crumbs, add garlic powder and black pepper)
• 4 - 5 large cloves of garlic - crushed and chopped
• 2 - 3 tbs. olive oil

For the Tomato Sauce:

• 4 large tomatoes - diced
• 1 bunch of fresh scallions - chopped
• 4 - 5 large cloves of garlic - crushed and chopped
• 1/2 cup wine
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 2 tbs. olive oil
• 1/4 cup of fresh grated Romano or Parmesan cheese
• Fresh Romano or Parmesan cheese for grating

Instructions

Homemade Pasta:

1. On a clean work surface, place flour and make a well in the center. Add eggs, salt, and olive oil. Using a fork, whisk the eggs until combined. Using your hands, gently begin to incorporate the flour into the egg mixture until a sticky dough starts coming together.
2. Gently knead the dough, lighting dusting the work surface with flour if it sticks. If the dough feels too dry, add 1-2 tablespoons of room temp water.
3. The final result should be a tacky dough that doesn't stick to the surface. Shape into a disk and wrap in clingfilm then let the dough rest for about 15-20 minutes.
4. Divide the disk into quarters. On a lightly floured surface, gently roll the dough out to flatten. Set your pasta maker to level 1 and gently run it through. Lightly dusk the dough with flour, fold the dough, then set the pasta maker to level 2 and run it through again. Dust it once more with flour, and finally, run it through level 3. You may need to dust it again with flour before running it through the fettuccine attachment. Once the pasta has been cut, dust with flour and let dry on a pasta rack for 1-2 days if you are not making it immediately.
5. To cook, prepare the pasta as you would any store bought brand. Bring a large pot of salted water to a roaring boil. Add the dried or fresh pasta and let cook until 'al dente'. NOTE: fresh pasta takes significantly less time to cook about 2-3 minutes. If you are using dried pasta, cook for about 10 minutes.

**If you enjoyed today's recipe, visit Living the Gourmet for more comforting meals the family will love!