Lasagne - The Fresh Pasta Sheets

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Lasagne, The Fresh Pasta Sheets

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Homemade lasagne sheets will bake the softest of lasagne. Once you taste a forkful of lasagne made with them, you would be reluctant to go back to that box of dried lasagne sheets.

This recipe for pasta dough is egg based. Recipes for egg pasta doesn't vary much - all-purpose/plain flour and eggs in a ratio of ~100g flour to 1 large egg. The flour could be a mix of all-purpose and semolina. Eggs could be a combination of whole eggs and egg yolks .

I stick to all-purpose flour as semolina flour produces a sturdier pasta and I want soft pillowy sheets of pasta. ~3 egg yolks replaces 1 whole egg. So you could replace 1/3 of the total amount with egg yolks which makes for a more luxurious silky pasta.

Making fresh pasta is messy. There is no denying it. Your kitchen would be floury - floors, everything! But, no boxed pasta can replace the feel of teeth biting into velvety smooth, tender, freshly made pasta. For that, I am willing to take mop to hand and clean up my kitchen.

To find out how I minimise turning my kitchen into a floury fairy land, please scroll down to 'Tips'.

Recipe for my Lasagne will be in the upcoming post.

baking and to view my Easter table from 2015.

LASAGNE - THE FRESH PASTA SHEETS                            

Prep:	20 minutes
Cook:	For use in lasagne, I add rolled sheets (no need to precook) directly with other lasagne ingredients. In boiling salted water, it depends on how thick or thin you cut/roll them out but it is quick ~ 2 -3 minutes.
Inactive:	1 hour
Level:	Easy but messy
Makes:	1.43lbs (650g) Enough to make 2 trays of lasagne.
Oven Temperature:	-
Can recipe be doubled?	-
Make ahead?	Dough can be made the night before and refrigerated.

Just the ingredients 14.1oz (400g) all-purpose/plain flour 3/4 teaspoon salt 3 eggs + 3 egg yolks (~ 1 cup +/- 2 Tablespoons total)  For a more luxurious and silky pasta. For ideas to use up egg whites, please scroll down to 'Tips'. OR 4 eggs (~ 1 cup +/- 2 Tablespoons total)

Ingredients

14.1oz (400g) all-purpose/plain flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 eggs + 3 egg yolks (~ 1 cup +/- 2 Tablespoons total) 
For a more luxurious and silky pasta. For ideas to use up egg whites, please scroll down to 'Tips'.

OR

4 eggs (~ 1 cup +/- 2 Tablespoons total) 

Method

Using my standing mixer -KitchenAid

You will need a standing mixer that is powerful enough. Those handheld mixers will not do. Alternatively, you could mix the dough in a food processor but kneading will have to be done by hand.

Mix flour and salt in the mixer bowl. 

Beat the eggs/egg yolks.

Attach the dough hook. Turn the machine on medium-low (dial 3 on KitchenAid) and steadily pour in 1 cup of beaten eggs.

This looks dry and I had to add an extra Tablespoon of egg (you could use the egg whites leftover from the yolks).

This looks better but we still need to machine knead it for ~10 minutes to get it smooth and pliable.

The dough looked smooth but when I pulled on it, it was not very pliable. It felt tight and a tad dry. It should feel a little sticky. So I added another tablespoon of egg.

This dough looks smooth like the picture above but it is pliable and feels a little sticky. That's good.

Shape into a ball, flour the vessel it will be resting in or it will stick, cover tightly and let it rest for 1 hour. It will be impossibly hard to roll out the dough if you do not let it rest for that hour. If you will not be using it after an hour, let it rest in the refrigerator instead. 

After the dough has had its 1 hour resting time, slice into 6 equal portions. Uncovered dough dries up very quickly and I find it best to keep it under a sheet of plastic and in an airtight container. Kitchen towels alone do not offer enough protection.

As far as possible, I work my pasta outdoors as it minimises clean up. Have the following as indicated in the picture below ready. Dust with flour, the pasta machine and the surface area where the rolled pasta would land.

My pasta machine dial runs from 1 to 7 (being the thinnest). Set the dial at 1 (the widest setting). Remove one pre-cut dough, flatten and run it through the rollers. Fold it into a rectangle and run it through Dial 1 again.  Dust with flour if necessary.

You will be working the pasta through consecutively narrower settings through dials 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 and you will go through each dial setting twice. Dust with flour when necessary.

After the pasta is rolled through Dial 6 setting, roll the pasta through Dial 7 only once. Dust with flour if necessary.

This is how thin the pasta sheets should look if you are going to use it for lasagne. If you place your arm behind the pasta sheet, you should be able to see its silhouette. The narrowest or the second to narrowest dial setting would be suitable for lasagne and folded pasta, for instance, ravioli. 

When I make lasagne, I not only do not pre-cook the pasta sheets, I use it immediately on the sauces and cheeses. This allows me to roll out the sheets to the thinnest setting and that means the pasta sheets cooks up soft and silky and the mouth feel is incredibly smooth.

If you intend to use the pasta for cut pasta, I would recommend stopping at the second to last narrowest dial setting. If rolled too thin, it might be difficult to handle. 

To store the pasta, dust with enough flour to avoid sticking. Ensure cut strands are separated, dust with sufficient flour and roll into a little nest. Let it dry out on the cooling racks. I keep my pasta in the refrigerator as I am not comfortable storing egg pasta out of the fridge.

Cooking is swift compared to store bought pasta, ~ 2 to 3 minutes in boiling salted water should be sufficient.

Tips

Minimising the floury mess

• Work outdoors

This is ideal if the weather cooperates. Clean up is minimal. No need to mop the floor or kitchen counter of flour. I always try and work on my pasta sheets outdoors.

• Spread out dampen kitchen towel(s) on your exposed work surface

This helps to capture the lighter than feather flour and prevent it from drifting off further down to the floor.

• Spread out dampen flour mat(s) on the floor area where you will be standing to make pasta

This not only captures any fly away flour, it prevents your feet from transferring any floury debris to other areas of the kitchen.

Desserts you can make with leftover egg whites

Pavlova Gluten Free Dessert

Crisp exterior and a lovely melt in your mouth interior.

Chocolate Pavlova Gluten Free Dessert

Chocolate meringue with chocolate nuggets inside.

Fluffy Egg White Ricotta Sour Cream Pancakes

These remind me of a fast food chain's pancakes but much, much better tasting and way fluffier.

Chocolate Eaton Mess

Yum!

Pavlova With Whipped Cream Rhubarb Swirls And Slivers Of Sugar Frosted Winter Melon

Sour, sweet plus creamy is always a good combination.

WHAT'S COMING UP NEXT?                                                

The recipe for the sauce and cheeses that goes into the lasagne and how to assemble so that the dish is lovely and moist.