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Pasta Cavatelli: Homemade Pasta Without A Pasta Roller

How To Make Pasta Without A Pasta Machine

I love hearing other peoples Culinary Bucket Lists. It’s always a really interesting mix of classic recipes, mastering techniques, and difficult dishes. I love that, it shows range.

But seriously people, start crossing some of this stuff off. You can do it. Just jump right in, and do it.

This is a great recipe for everyone that has "Make Pasta From Scratch" on your list because you don’t need any fancy equiptment. Just some flour, water and a knife.

You’ve go this.

I’m going to be honest with you, this is a bit labor intensive. But you can finally draw that satisfying line though the item that’s been taunting you on your bucket list for years. You can finally say things like, "This one time, while I was making pasta from scratch…" and "Well, when I make my pasta…"

It’ll be fun.

Homemade Cavatelli Pasta

2 cups All Purpose flour

1 cup Semolina flour

½ tsp salt

1 cup warm water

 

1. Add both kinds of flour and salt to a flat surface, mix to combine.

How To Make Pasta Without A Pasta Roller

2. Make a well in the middle and add the water.

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3. Stir the liquid and the flour together until combined. Then knead until smooth, about 5 minutes.

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4. Cut into 4 pieces, wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

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5. One at at time, take a piece of dough and form into a long log about 1/4 to 1/2 inch in diameter.

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6. Cut off about 1/4 inch slice and place in front of you. It should be about the size of a dime.

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7. Place a bench knife (I use this one, I love it), or the dull side of a butter knife, on the far side of the dough circle, pull towards you smearing the dough against the counter. The dough should curl up over the knife.

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8. It should look like a little canoe.

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10. Place on a baking sheet that has been lightly dusted with flour until ready to use. Basically, if you mound them on top of each other, they’ll stick.

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11. Cook immediately in lightly salted water until al dente or allow to dry and store in an air tight container.

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Look at you, you homemade pasta maker.

I’m so impressed with your mad skills.

 

 

DIY Chocolate Molds & SprinkleBakes Cookbook Review plus Giveaway

Cookbook is a bit of a misnomer with SprinkleBakes. It’s more like an education. Like your best friend who happens to be an incomprehensibly talented pastry chef standing in your kitchen teaching you everything she knows about baking. Of course there are recipes, they range from redefining the idea of a basic cake to fabulously well crafted mousses, but it’s more than that. As with most cookbooks these days, you get more than just a compilation of recipes, it’s a catalouge of all the tips and tricks you didn’t even know were missing from your repertoire. SprinkleBakes is filled with instruction that not only inspires you to create your own works of art, it gives you the tools you need to do so. From simple to extravagant, everything you learn is accessible, no matter what your skill level.

How To: turn anything into a chocolate mold using just brown sugar

(Photo, Heather Baird)

This is the perfect addition to the kitchen of anyone who wants to learn more about the art of baking, no matter how long or short your’ve been at it.

I was so impressed by the tips and tutorials in this book, they seemed endless, like every time I flip though it I am bound to learn something new. This is a book that I will be referencing for years.

Here is a fun trick that I feel in love with right away. She teaches you how to turn just about anything in your house into a chocolate mold using just brown sugar. This is a great tip for anyone who throws kids parties and doesn’t want to invest in a chocolate mold that you’ll use once.

How To: turn anything into a chocolate mold using just brown sugar

Brown Sugar Chocolate Mold

Step One:

Fill a small bowl with soft brown sugar and pack lightly.

Step Two:

Place your object into the brown sugar and press down, compacting the sugar around the object. Objects that work best are fairly flat, with minimal detail. Heather uses a shell in her book and it turns out great. I used my daughters Alphabet magnets. If it doesn’t look right, remove the object, fluff the brown sugar and start again.

Step Three

Add chocolate chips (or candy melts) to a microwave safe bowl and microwave for thirty seconds, stir and repeat until chocolate is melted. Remove the objects from the brown sugar

Pour the chocolate gently into just the depression made by the object.

How To: turn anything into a chocolate mold using just brown sugar

Step Four:

Place in the refrigerator until set, about 10 minutes. Remove from the brown sugar and dust off as much sugar as you can. Run a very slow, very cold stream of water from your kitchen faucet. Gently run the chocolates under water until the excess sugar has been removed.

How To: turn anything into a chocolate mold using just brown sugar

Things to keep in mind:

These will not be shiny and smooth like those you get from a silicon mold, they will have a bit of a pocked texture. This might be what you want if you are going for a weathered look.

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SprinkleBakes Cookbook Giveaway!

Win your very own copy of this fabulous cookbook!

All you have to do is leave a comment in the comment section to enter! This makes a great gift for anyone you know who loves to bake, no matter what the skill level.  

Contest ends Monday, June 4th at noon PST.

Contest Only open to residents of the USA.  

Update: 

Random Number Generator choose #32, Emily!

Congrats Emily!