Homemade Pasta with Ragu

This was my first time making homemade pasta (except for gnocchi, but that didn't require my pasta roller and cutter).  I used a whole wheat recipe, and, with the help of my Kitchen Aid standmixer and pasta attachments, I think I ended up with a pretty tasty pasta.  It didn't take as long as I thought it would and I enjoyed watching the pasta attachments do their work!


Whole Wheat Pasta - expected time 1.5 hours
(from AllRecipes.com)


Ingredients
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
4 eggs
2 teaspoons olive oil


Directions

1. Stir together the flours and salt in a medium bowl or on a clean board.
2. Make a hollow in the center and pour in the olive oil.
3. Break the eggs into the hollow one at a time while mixing quickly with a fork until the dough is wet enough to come together.
4. Knead on a lightly floured surface until the dough is stiff and elastic.  Cover and let stand for 30 minutes to relax.
5. Roll out dough by hand with a rolling pin (or a pasta machine) to achieve the desired thickness of noodles.
6. Cut into desired width and shapes.
7. Allow pasta to air dry for at least 15 minutes.

The pasta was a bit clumpy, but I think that if I had let it air dry for 20-25 minutes, it would have been perfect.  I served with jarred sauce (Ragu with extra vegetables) because I only wanted to try one homemade item that night.  The taste was very light and fresh and the texture was soft (except for a few clumps).  I added some Parmesan and Mozzarella, but the recipe definitely did not need them (as with some pastas).  I just love cheese!  Overall, a fantastic meal and one I look forward to making time and again.