Meg's Meal Planning

Italy

Homemade Spaghetti and Meatballs

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There is nothing more tasty than fresh, homemade spaghetti and meatballs. Pair with a good glass of red wine and you have the perfect night!

homemade pasta and meatballs

Homemade spaghetti is not something I make often (spaghetti, yes; homemade, no), but every time I do, I wonder why I don’t it more often? It’s not hard or time consuming. I know, I know, boiling water and dropping in a box of pasta is much quicker. However, it just doesn’t give you, or your belly, the same satisfaction.

Kneading and rolling out the dough, getting your hands dirty is so rewarding! Plus, it’s a fun activity to do with your kids. It starts teaching them about food: measuring the ingredients, rolling out the dough, and watching it go through the pasta attachment.

spaghetti homemade

I followed the recipe that was included with my Kitchen Aid pasta attachment. First, I made fettuccine, then spaghetti. I must admit we all enjoyed the spaghetti better, but I learned some tips as we went.

Tips for the best homemade spaghetti 

  1. If your dough is too dry, add more water, just a little at a time
  2. If your dough is too wet, add more flour
  3. Make sure you roll it out very thin; when you think you’re done, roll it out more
  4. Cook the pasta for 3-5 minutes, but start tasting it after 2 minutes. Cooking time will depend on how thick you made the pasta and the type you are making

homemade pasta

The most important ingredient of a pasta dinner is good red wine. I want to thank my brother and The Every Day Travelers for bringing home red wine from my favorite restaurant in Positano, Italy, La Tagliata. If you ever find yourself in Positano, this is a MUST GO TO restaurant. This is non-negotiable. It is a pre-fix menu (whatever the chef feels like cooking that day). You get multiple courses: anti-pasta, salad, fries, pasta, meat, vegetables, dessert, and of course a bottle of wine. They can accommodate special diets, like vegetarian.  The next best thing other than the food is the view! The restaurant is set up high on the cliffs where guests can take in the panoramic view of Positano, the Galli Isles and Capri below.

Food from La Tagliata. Photo by the Everyday Travelers.

Views of the Amalfi Coast

 

 

 

 

 

 

Homemade Spaghetti and Meatballs
 
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Author:
Recipe type: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 tbsp water
  • 3½ cups sifted all-purpose flour
  • ½ tsp salt
Instructions
  1. Place eggs, water, flour, and salt in a mixer bowl of your Kitchen Aid. Using the flat beater, mix for 30 seconds on speed 2.
  2. Switch out the flat beater for the hook attachment. Knead for 2 minutes on speed 2. Remove dough from the bowl and knead by hand for 1-2 minutes. Let it rest for 20 minutes.
  3. Cut the dough into four even sections and roll out with a rolling pin. (Unopen bottle of wine works too).
  4. Attach your pasta sheet roller to front of the Kitchen Aid Mixer. Turn on to speed 2 and feed the rolled out dough through the roller.
  5. Cook immediately in a boiling pot of water for 2-5 minutes for fresh pasta.

 

 

Homemade gnocchi…A labor of love. 

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Ever since coming home from my honeymoon in Italy, I have been dying to try homemade gnocchi.  I had the most amazing gnocchi when staying in Positano at this family owned restaurant named Ristorante da Vincenzo. It was so good, we went back two nights in a row.

I’ve put off making my own for a while, so the time has finally come. I followed two receipes 1. from keepin’ it kind and 2. from delallo.  I combined parts of both recipes until I found the perfect consistency for the dumplings.  I do not own a potato ricer. I have never heard of such a thing before until I started making the gnocchi! Guess I should have read the full recipe first! Instead, I used a potato masher.

This meal exceeded my expecations! Everything about it brought me back to sitting in Piazza Navona in Rome! The homemade sauce, homemade gnocchi, homemade meatballs, even the wine and cheese were brought back from Italy (don’t tell US Customs!). There is something to be said about REAL GOOD Parmigiano- Reggiano cheese! And the wine, real Italian wine, sulfate free is the best kind.  The wine came from a resturant in Positiano, La Tagliata. It’s a another family owned resturant and they make their own wine. We loved it so much, we asked to buy a bottle, but the amazing owner gave us one for free!  If you can’t tell by now, I highly recommend going to Italy on your honeymoon!
Ingredients

  • 6 small-medium size potatoes – I used gold potatoes because that’s what I had in my pantry
  • 2 1/2 cups of flour – although I found I had to use more like 3 1/2 cups
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Steps

1. Boil potatoes with skins on for about 20 mins or until tender when poked with a fork. Drain well and let cool.

2. Peel boiled potatoes, removing any brown spots.

3. Clean your work surface, either the countertop or a large cutting board.

4. Use potato ricer if you have one, if not use potato masher to mash the potatoes. The masher worked just as well, but you really have to make sure to work out all the little clumps.

5. Pour flour and salt on top of mashed potatoes

6. Clear out a circle in the middle of the potatoes and crack your egg in the middle. Beat with a fork, slowly pulling in the potatoes.

7. Time to get down and dirty! Use your hands and start mixing the ingredients until your dough begins to form. This is where I started having trouble. My dough was too wet, so I had to keep adding flour.

 

8. Once you have the right consistency, cut off small parts of the dough and roll out about 1 inch think and cut into 1 inch pieces.  If you choose to, you can press fork indentations into the cut pieces. #sofancy

 

Roll out about 1 inch thick and cut into 1 inch pieces

If can indent with a fork , if you wish

 

9. Drop the cut pieces into boiling water. Gnocchi cooks very quick! Once the pieces start “dancing” they are done.  Scoop them out with slotted spoon and set aside until all pieces are cooked.

A VERY HELFUL TIP!!! Even when you think the dough is the right consistency, roll out and cut off a small piece and test it out.  If it sinks and doesn’t rise, add more flour.  If it sinks, then rises, but tastes gummy, add more flour.  I had to repeat this step 3x before my pieces didn’t taste gummy. Another helpful tip from one of my followers is use older potatoes, they hold less mositure.  That is why I probably had to use more flour than the receipe called for; my potatoes were bought the same week.

 

Enjoy!