EGG FREE NOODLES

Steps:

• In a clean plastic bowl combine dry ingredients and wisk them together till combined (about five minutes.).
• Microwave a cup of water for about a minute or two. Add half of the water to the dry mix and knead with your hands for three minutes.
• Add your olive oil and knead for another three minutes.
• At this point you should have a moist lump of dough in the shape of a big ball. If need be add some more water if it is not coming together or it seems too dense.
• Pinch a small amount off of the ball and taste. Adjust flavor with dry spices etc and knead for five minutes. If taste is to likeing continue or repeat. If dough is too dry add a bit more water and knead for a few minutes.
• Divide the dough ball into two portions and knead each portion for another three minutes, then form each into a ball. Place the smaller dough balls into containers and put in the fridge till they cool. Once cool take the containers out and cover them and put them back into the fridge for 15 to 20 minutes.
• If you are making and cooking your pasta for now set your large pot of fresh water with a bit of salt on the stove. If you are saving the dough for another day try to keep the air away from it and keep it moist or frozen.
• To make the dough into pasta remove a ball from the fridge and begin to knead by hand for a good 15 to 20 minutes. The better you knead the dough to more consistent your pasta will be.
• Take the plastic bowl and clean and dry it while the dough has been proofing and sprinkle it with flour. Sprinkle the rolling area with a good amount of flour prior to rolling out your dough (be it the table, a pasta machine, whatever.).
• Divide the small ball into four equal chunks.
• If you are rolling by hand flour your rolling pin or hands and roll out the dough to a thinkness you like and cut to size. Place cut pasta over the floured bowl to air dry for a few minutes. Always air dry the pasta for a good five minutes prior to cooking or it will turn mushy.
• If you are useing a pasta machine take the chunk and make it into a small oblong ball. Set the pasta machine to it's thickest and crank out the dough. Set it to each increment smaller till you get the thickness you want making sure you flour the machine between sizeing the pasta to keep it from clumping in the machine. Use the ribbon attatchments on the pasta sheet for whatever size pasta you want or just hand cut to size. Air dry your pasta for a few minutes by placing it over the floured bowl.
• Hopefully you began boiling your water in between batches of dough and by the time you are almost through your second dough chunk you should be able to cook some "test" pasta. Slotted spoon in hand place some of your newly minted pasta into the boiling water and watch it. If it is falling apart you need to let it dry some more or add some extra flour to the outside of the pasta. Depending on the size of your noodle it may be done in as little as one to two minutes. Remove a test noodle and let it cool for a few seconds and taste (don't be afraid to have made some herbed butter or have your favorite sauce ready to test the flavor combinations.) If all is right you can crank out as much pasta as you want to and get cooking.
• Note: Only cook the fresh pasta in small batches as it tends to clump too much in larger batches. If you are feeling adventurous try making your own ravioli with your own stuffing inside. You can also make thicker style pasta (rustic if you want to give it a cool name) by keeping the pasta sheets thicker and tearing or pinching off portions of the pasta. Toss these bigger chunks in seasoned flour and cook em up. I once did this and fried em on my side burner of my grill to go with the steaks I was grilling. Needless to say that was a great night.