There are so many lovely things about homemade pasta — from the wonderfully therapeutic process of rolling out your dough, to the delicious taste after taking your first bite. While the idea of making pasta by hand can seem somewhat daunting, it is actually super simple, and once you learn how to do it, I can guarantee you’ll be wanting more. One of our favorite preparations is with a hearty meat sauce, which pairs nicely with these thicker cut pasta.

Homemade pasta with meat sauce
(Serves two; though the pasta dough below makes enough for three meals for two people)

Pasta ingredients
– 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
– 1/2 cup semolina flour
– 2 whole eggs
– 3 egg yolks
– 1-2 tbsp water

Sauce ingredients
– 3 tbsp of olive oil
– 3 cloves of garlic, minced
– 1/2 onion, chopped
– 1 carrot, peeled and chopped
– 1 celery stick, chopped
– 1/4 – 1/2 lb ground meet (depending on how meaty you like your sauce)
– 1 (2 oz) tin of anchovy fillets
– 1 (14.5 oz) can of diced tomatoes in their juice
– 1/4 cup parsley, chopped
– 1/4 cup pecorino or parmesan cheese, finely grated
– Salt and pepper for seasoning

Pasta directions
(Adapted from the New York Times’ pasta dough)

1. Place both flours in a large bowl, and mix together to combine.

2. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture, and crack your whole eggs and egg yolks into the center. Use a fork to beat eggs, gradually working in the flour, until you have a cohesive mass.

3. Turn dough onto your counter or cutting board, and using flour as needed, knead four or five times until the dough comes together, with a nice elasticity and uniform color. Add 1-2 tbsp of water as needed if dough appears dry. Form into a disc, wrap in plastic and set aside for at least 30 minutes.

4. Once your dough is ready, unwrap, and cut into three chunks. Set your pasta maker to the lowest level (we use an Marcato Atlas 150, which is set to 0), and feed through each sheet. Repeat this process five or six times, flouring both sides of the pasta sheet and folding the sheet in half in between each feed.

5. Cut each sheet in half, so you now have six sheets. Starting with the next level up, i.e. 1, feed each sheet through once. Repeat this process, increasing the level each round, up to your desired thickness (we went up to level 6).

6. Once your sheets are at your desired thickness, lay them flat on your counter, and cut into 10-inch long sheets (you may end up with about 12 sheets total). Pick your desired cut (we use the thicker cut), and feed each sheet through to cut your pasta. Once your sheets are fully cut, you can either roll your pasta into little mounds, or hang them out to dry.

7. For cooking immediately, boil a medium pot of water with a little olive oil and salt. Once at a boil, add four “mounds” of your pasta, and cook for 2-3 minutes, until cooked through. They’re now ready to be tossed with your sauce (recipe below!).

8. To store the remainder of your pasta, place on a baking sheet and let sit in the freezer for about 15 minutes, or until firm. Once firm, place into a zip-lock bag, and freeze for up to three months.

Sauce directions

1. Heat your 2 tbsp of your olive oil over medium heat in a large sauce pan, and add garlic and onion. Cook until the onion is soft, and the garlic is just browning (but not burned!).

2. Add your carrot, celery, and ground beef, and cook until the veggies are soft, and the beef is cooked through.

3. Push your veggie and meat mixture to one side of the pan, and on the other side, add your anchovies with the remaining olive oil, and break apart the fillets until the anchovies are smooth and cooked down. Stir together with the rest of the mixture.

4. Add your can of tomatoes, with the juice, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and let simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until the sauce thickens.

5. Once your sauce has thickened, add parsley and shredded cheese, reserving a little of both for your plating. Mix well to incorporate, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

6. Toss your freshly cooked pasta with your sauce, and top with additional parsley and cheese before serving. Enjoy!