The great thing about making your own pasta is the unexpected feelings of wonder and satisfaction you get when you are creating something so insanely good in just a matter of minutes. After joining the Kwandwe team, we shared this recipe with the rest of the chefs and after the first attempt, they were hooked! Homemade pasta dishes of their own making and imagination are making more frequent appearances. This homemade pasta recipe is a firm favourite in our kitchens.

 

Any good pasta dough can be made with a Kenwood or Kitchen Aid or, as we like it, your hands.

Ingredients:

400g OO flour

100g semolina flour

100g very finely chopped herbs of your choice

1 teaspoon ground salt

1 teaspoon ground pepper

5 whole eggs

2 tablespoon olive oil

Method:

Place both the OO and semolina flour on your counter, mix through your herbs and spice.

Create a well and add your oil and eggs.

Working outside in, start folding and mixing.

There is no hurry in this … take your time.

When it comes together nicely and has formed a ball, place it on a floured surface, dust with flour on top and cover with a kitchen towel for about half an hour.

Cut the ball in 4 equal pieces.

On a floured workspace start rolling out in long strips. The thickness of the pasta depends on your liking, however the thicker the pasta the longer it will take to cook.

When you have the dough at your desired thickness cut into strips, thick or thin, your choice.

Meanwhile, place 200g of cubed butter in a large heated pan on the stove.

Once melted, the butter will foam, then subside.

As soon as brown specks start forming, a nutty aroma will start to fill your kitchen and you can remove it from the heat.

In a pot filled with boiling salted water, cook the pasta for about 3 – 5 minutes.

Keep tasting strands until it has reached the “al dente” you like

Once your pasta is done, drain it and toss into the browned butter with some fresh herbs.

Sprinkle with shavings of your favourite cheese, at Kwandwe we use some excellent local made cheese from the foot of the Zuurberg Mountains here in the Eastern Cape

Serve and Yonwabela!