Homemade Spelt Pasta with Squash

This pasta is very easy to make but it has many steps involved.  Set aside some time to make this dish.  I will rate this dish an intermediate as it will take some skill and expertise to master the pasta maker.

Some may choose to roll the dough out on a chopping board opposed to purchasing a machine.  The machine makes uniform pasta strips and looks beautiful though. 

I checked many recipes before deciding which was best and settled on Ty's Conscious Kitchen video to be the easiest to follow.  I then took his ideals and added more of what I wanted.  His is a plain pasta with no seasoning at all.  To mine, I added in some squash and spices which made it very yummy.

I love the texture and I hope you will too.

Ingredients
  • Cooked squash for flavor. (around 1/3 cup), 
  • 2 cups of spelt flour, 
  • 1/3 cup warm water, 
  • dash of sea salt, 
  • Spices as you prefer
  • 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil in the dough and the same in the cooking water.

Directions

Place the flour, salt and cooked squash together.  With a spoon or fork mix together thoroughly, like you would a pie dough.  Add in the oil and a few tablespoons of water at a time.

Keep adding the water until you have a ball of dough.  Wipe the dough on the sides of the bowl absorbing all the flour.  Now you must knead the dough.  Using the heel of your hand knead the dough for 4 to 6 minutes.

Flour the plastic wrap and lay the dough on top and wrap.  Let the dough sit for 10 minutes.  

During this time prepare your cutting surface or your pasta machine.  With a cutting surface you will want a large cutting board that is floured well and a pizza cutter.  You will roll out the dough thin enough for your pasta and then with a pizza cutter cut long strips and hang on your drying rack. 


If you are using a pasta machine then take a small amount of dough and place it in the rollers to flatten.  Start with setting 7.  I found when the dough was too thin, it was difficult to handle.  I reduced the machine to mark 3 and did not go lower.  Make sure to catch the dough underneath with your hand so that it does not lap over or it will stick together.

Now lay it down on a cutting surface and cut in to lengths no longer than 10 inches.  Take the 10 inch piece of pasta dough and put it in the linguine or spaghetti rollers.  Slowly turn the handle and with one hand catch the pasta underneath.

 Gently take the prepared pasta and lay over the dowels on the wooden rack you have purchased.  Note:  Some may try to use a hanger, but that way is harder to do.  The wooden rack is just perfect.

Allow the pasta to dry for 1 hour.  Then bring a pot of water to boil with 1/2 tablespoon of oil, so the pasta does not stick together.  The pasta will cook quickly and when it floats to the top of the water, it is done.  Remove the pasta carefully and then mix with what you like. 

I ordered this very cheap pasta maker: http://amzn.to/2cLEj6Z and the drying rack shown on the right hand side below. http://amzn.to/2cfz6RK

The drying rack is a must. It was fun to use, but took time to do this. Mistakes I did was not spraying the wood dowels with some non stick spray before using. Make sure your pasta has enough flour in the dough and not too sticky as it will fall off the dowels and the cats below will not mind at all.  Make sure to make strips around 10 inches and no longer.

My cats adored the dough. I enjoyed the pasta very much and made a sauce with chickpeas and fresh greens. I am big on putting fresh greens right on top of the meals in stead of cooking them. This recipe made a lot and enough for 2 or 3 people. You can store the dry pasta for months.

Well a busy evening trying to be healthy.