Matcha pasta: step-by-step
I’m very happy to say that we are going through major blog changes these days, and though they are not visible yet, hopefully slowly one by one they’ll crawl into the daylight, from some design features to new extra pages.
I have received quite a few requests to be post some step-by-step recipes with photos of dishes in progress, and that’s one of the things I promise to work upon in the next couple of months.
Now, when most ask for step-by-step instructions, baked goods are mostly in demand (and I will get to them as soon as I recover from my December-January excessive sugar consumption). However, since I’ve got a pasta machine last year, I’ve been on a whole new hype of pasta making, so we’ll start with step by steps from here.
Now, why should you make your pasta in the first place? Well, because it does taste better than most store bought versions and it’s nowhere as complicated to make as most people tend to think.
My favorite part about being making own pasta is the flavors you can add, giving dishes a tad more refinement and character which would be quite impossible with store bought one. The last months I’ve been flavoring pastas from saffron to spinach, but my current favorite would be spiked with matcha tea.
Adding matcha to pasta gives a light green color (note: mine’s still yellowish due to the amount of eggs added) and a subtle fresh flavor. I’ll be posting some recipes using this pasta later this week, but for now pasta making (almost) step-by-step.
There are two ways to make pasta: in a food processor or by hand.
To make the pasta by hand, start by combining all the dry ingredients (flour, matcha powder and salt).
In a bowl combine eggs, yolks, milk and oil and beat lightly;
Place the dry ingredients on a clean surface, the kitchen counter works best, make a well in the centre, like a volcano (but reserve some flour on the side, otherwise in the middle of mixing and kneading you’ll have to call for help) and pour in the liquid mixture;
Using a few fingers, in a circling motion start to slowly incorporate flour into the egg mixture. Some recipes suggest mixing the ingredients when added to the flour, but I prefer having pre-beaten before.
Don’t rush here1 If you incorporate too much flour at a time you may end up with lumpy dough and there’s no way of fixing it from there.
It is useful to have a dough scraper and when you feel more flour is needed to push it towards the forming dough while moving from circling/swirling around to kneading.
Alternatively, make the dough in a food processor combine all the dry ingredients (but do not use all the flour) and pulse a few times; then pour in the eggs lightly beaten with milk and oil. Pulse a few more times to combine all the ingredients, add more flour as needed and pulse again. Pour the dough out of the food processor onto the lightly floured surface and start kneading the dough, by pressing it with the heel of your hand.
The dough initially will be very sticky (and messy) but after minute will start coming together and sticking less and less to the surface (and your hands).
You should knead the dough till it has a silky and smooth surface, and has leather like feel. It may take from 5 to 15 minutes or more.
Next step: wrap the pasta dough into a cling film and leave to rest for at least 30 minutes.
Once the dough has rested, start rolling it out. Dust the rolling surface lightly with flour and divide the dough into 3-4 pieces and shape them into rectangles.
Set the machine on the widest setting and start passing your dough through it a couple of times, folding it in half in between. Continue to pass the dough through the machine reducing the settings as you go. Don’t forget to dust with plenty of flour, otherwise your dough will stick and them it’s all over again.
Some people say that rolling pasta is a two persons job, especially when the rolled dough becomes long and a little difficult to handle, then if you’re just as fortunate as I am, and have a photographer on the other side taking photos, that’s a good time to ask for a hand!
I’m lucky ieva’s good at multitasking!
Now when the dough is rolled to the thickness of your liking attach the fettucini cutter, dust again generously with flour and start cutting your pasta.
Continue to dust the pasta with flour as they are cut, otherwise they’ll stick together.
And voila! You’ve made matcha fettucini!
- 270g flour
- pinch of salt
- 3 teaspoons matcha powder
- 3 eggs
- 3 egg yolks
- 1,5 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon milk
- To make the pasta by hand, start by combining all the dry ingredients (flour, matcha powder and salt).
- In a bowl combine eggs, yolks, milk and oil and beat lightly;
- Place the dry ingredients on a clean surface, the kitchen counter works best, make a well in the centre, like a volcano (but reserve some flour on the side, otherwise in the middle of mixing and kneading you’ll have to call for help) and pour in the liquid mixture;
- Using a few fingers, in a circling motion start to slowly incorporate flour into the egg mixture (Don’t rush here! If you incorporate too much flour at a time you may end up with lumpy dough and there’s no way of fixing it from there).
- It is useful to have a dough scraper and when you feel more flour is needed to push it towards the forming dough while moving from circling/swirling around to kneading.
- Alternatively, to make the dough in a food processor combine all the dry ingredients (but do not use all the flour) and pulse a few times; then pour in the eggs lightly beaten with milk and oil. Pulse a few more times to combine all the ingredients, add more flour as needed and pulse again. Pour the dough out of the food processor onto the lightly floured surface and start kneading the dough, by pressing it with the heel of your hand.
- The dough initially will be very sticky (and messy) but after minute will start coming together and sticking less and less to the surface (and your hands).
- You should knead the dough till it has a silky and smooth surface, and has leather like feel. It may take from 5 to 15 minutes or more.
- Next step: wrap the pasta dough into a cling film and leave to rest for at least 30 minutes.
- Once the dough has rested, start rolling it out. Dust the rolling surface lightly with flour and divide the dough into 3-4 pieces and shape them into rectangles.
- Set the machine on the widest setting and start passing your dough through it a couple of times, folding it in half in between. Continue to pass the dough through the machine reducing the settings as you go. Don’t forget to dust with plenty of flour, otherwise your dough will stick and them it’s all over again.
- Now when the dough is rolled to the thickness of your liking attach the fettucini cutter, dust again generously with flour and start cutting your pasta.
- Continue to dust the pasta with flour as they are cut, otherwise they’ll stick together.
Making pasta is a fun project, but I always have to have at least one helper! I never really have got into experimenting with making it and I do find this post inspiring. The matcha flavor addition is very creative! I am just so curious as to the taste-wish I had been there to enjoy this fresh pasta. Great post.
Thanks so much Tina, I’m so happy you’ve got a bit of inspiration!!! Matcha gives a hint of freshness to pasta and it’s quite unusual, but allows for interesting flavour combinations!
I make my pasta – but seldom add flavors. I love how silky smooth this looks and add Matcha powder is a splendid idea.
I find it inspiring also! I have a pasta maker that I inherited and have yet to try it because the thought is so daunting. Thanks for posting this step by step tutorial.
Love the idea of matcha pasta! Sounds so delicious!
Oooh this pasta sounds so delicate and yummy! The pasta pics look so nice and fresh too!!
Very interesting. I never had matcha pasta, and I’m intrigued by it. Maybe I’ll dust off my pasta machine and start making one. Thanks for sharing this.
I love my pasta machine. Your pasta looks great and wonderful photos! Do you use a tripod and a timer or do you have a handy assistant?
Hi Alyssa, I actually never take any photos, they are all taken by my friend ieva, who in one of the photos up there stretched out to help with the rolling process! This is not in the photos but at the time ieva was holding the pasta, we’ve also had to employ my husband to hold the reflector for the shoot! It’s a three person job here
have a good weekend!
Oh, and ieva also uses a tripod!
I always admire people who bake and make pasta/bread!!! I don’t have patience and I’m very clumsy! I don’t have natural talent in both while cooking is more reasonable… so great job on this beautiful matcha (!!) pasta! I still think it’ll be fun to do this with kids when they are much older (if I do now, oh boy it’ll take more time to clean up than making pasta itself). I eat matcha soba, but not pasta yet. Ship me some~~~
Very original! They look fabulous.
Cheers,
Rosa
Loving it with the Matcha – never thought of this combination with pasta but why not? Great colour, too. I’ve added lime and a few other flavours to it for fun but now you’ve inspired me to bring out that machine again and have some messy time with the kids in the kitchen with Matcha!
I’ve wanted to make my own pasta for forever but I’ve never got round to it. These phtos are absolutely gorgeous!
Hey nice recipe going to try it. Check out my video about making trofie a simple semolina pasta.. just water, semolina and salt. http://www.minugnarmintv.se/2012/01/09/film-the-shape-of-trofie/
Your step by step pictures are gorgeous! I’m taking a pasta making class in a couple weeks for fun and can’t wait to give it a shot for the first time. Homemade pasta always looks sooo good!
This is such a lovely post! I’ve never made pasta myself, but I love fresh pasta to death. And matcha pasta sounds like a real treat!
This looks so delicious. We have the same pasta maker at home and we haven’t used it in a long time. Time to break it out again
I need to get me some of this matcha – everyone seems to be using it these days! I have the hardest time rolling my pasta. It always edges over to one side of the machine and smooshes up against the side… Yours seems to be rolling perfectly, and the final product looks so great!
You make that look so easy. What a delicious pile of noodles. Come visit us. We have a terrific quinoa recipe this week.
Making pasta only takes a few minutes and I would never consider buying dried pasta from a packet. Fresh pasta is immensely better. However, I have never made matcha pasta. Gotta try it.
I love making my own pasta and it is indeed not as difficult as people would have you believe! I don’t own a pasta machine yet but it’s high on my wishlist!