My mother died when I was 15 and my brother and I were
raised in part from that point on my our neighbors, the Zitos. This amazing family had four kids of their
own and we were always welcome for any meal.
This was never as exciting as Sunday.
Mama Zito made a pot of sugo – a tomato based sauce that cooked all day
and that might include sausage, meatballs, boiled eggs and other wonders. But, she always made boxed pasta.
I have made pasta on my own and it is a great way to make
fabulous use of nothing more than flour and a little oil, egg, water and salt. However, after moving to Louisville, I discovered Lotsa Pasta and did not feel the need
to make my own pasta again.
And, then came the August Bon Appetit magazine where I saw
photos of these beautiful handmade pastas and I realized they were made with a
wooden tool I had at home but had never known how to use. I decided to experiment. I had a great time and a couple great pasta
meals. I highly recommend getting back
to the basics. I used simple homegrown
tomatoes roasted in the oven with homegrown garlic, fabulous olive oil, salt
pepper and some fresh herbs. And, don’t forget
the Parmesan!
Basic Pasta
1 egg, beaten
½ tsp salt
1 c. all-purpose flour
1 T. olive oil
I T. water
In a medium sized bowl, combine flour and salt.
Make a well in the center and add egg, mix. Stir in water and oil and let sit about one
hour. Knead dough on a floured surface
about 3-4 minutes. Roll to desired
thinness (really thin) and cut in strips.
I actually cut into circles with a small lid and then pressed into the
wooden tool I have that created the wavy pattern on each circle. I then wet both ends and pressed together to
create half circles with centers to catch the sauce.
One Year Ago – Sauteed Beet Greens and Baked Beets
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