Homemade Lemon Pasta (Recipe)

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour

3 eggs

2 teaspoons grated lemon peel

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup lemon juice

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 cup butter or margarine, cut up

1/3 cup pecan pieces

Steps

1. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, eggs, lemon peel and salt.  Cover and process until the mixture forms fine crumbs about the consistency of cornmeal.

2. With the processor running, slowly pour the lemon juice and olive oil through the feed tube.  Continue processing just until the dough forms a ball.  If the dough is too dry, add a little water; if it is too sticky, add a little flour.  Let the dough rest for 10 minutes.

3. Lightly sprinkle the works surface with flour.  Turn the dough out onto the floured surface.  Knead the dough by pushing down and away with the heel of your hand.  Give the dough a turn, fold it over and knead again.  Knead and turn until the dough is smooth and elastic, for 8 to 10 minutes.  If the dough is sticky, add a little more flour.  Cover the dough and let it rest for 10 minutes.  Divide the dough into 6 pieces.

4. To machine-roll the dough; pass the dough through a pasta machine until it is 1/16-inch thick, following the manufacturer's directions.

5. Pass the dough through the pasta machine's cutting blades to cut it to the desired with.  By hand, cut the strips into desired lengths.

6. To roll the dough by hand: on a lightly floured surface, roll out each piece into a 9-inch square that is about 1/16-inch thick.  Let stand for 20 minutes.  Cut the dough into desired widths and lengths.

7. Drop the noddles into boiling salted water and cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until the pasta is al dente (tender but firm to the bite).  Drain the pasta.  Toss with butter and pecans, if desired.  Serve immediately.

Tips:

If you don't own a food processor, here's how to mix the pasta dough b hand: In a large bowl, stir together only 2 1/2 cups of the flour, the lemon peel and salt.  Make a well in the flour mixture.  In a small bowl, combine the eggs, lemon juice and olive oil.  Pour the egg mixture into the well in the flour mixture and stir until the dough forms a ball.

We found that a pizza cutter works very well for cutting strips of pasta by hand.

Garnish the pasta with sliced tomatoes, a lemon slice and fresh oregano leaves, if desired.

From : America's Best-Loved Community Recipes