Fresh Alsatian Egg Noodles (Nouilles à l'Alsacienne)
Jill Colonna
Alsatian egg noodles, an easy recipe using egg yolks. To make the flat noodles, this recipe is so much easier using a pasta machine, although it's not completely necessary.
pasta machine (ideal, although not entirely necessary)
Ingredients
500g (18oz/ 4 cups)plain flour (type 45 or 00) + extra 50g/2oz for dusting
8egg yolks(organic) or 5 whole eggs
½teaspoonsalt
3tablespoonolive oilextra virgin
Instructions
Ideally, using a food mixer, mix all the ingredients at low speed until well mixed. (If you make this by hand, make a large well in the flour, add the salt and crack the egg yolks (or whole eggs) and oil into it. Gradually mix in the flour with the hands until you have a non-sticky dough. If too sticky, add a bit more flour).Divide the pasta dough into 4, cover each with cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Lightly flour the working surface. Taking each dough ball at a time, flatten each with the palm of your hand. Turning the dough horizontally, turn in each side to make the dough a neat rectangular shape. Press into the first and largest setting of the machine to flatten it out. Repeat each step a couple of times with each of the 4 balls until the dough runs through the pasta machine rollers more easily. Continue the process on setting 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 until the pasta elongates into beautifully long sheets. Sprinkle with flour, then pass through each sheet through the noodle attachment. (If making by hand, flatten to 2mm using a rolling pin, sprinkle with flour, then roll the dough into a spiral and cut into thin strips using a sharp knife).
Spread out the long noodles, coating them with the extra flour so that they don’t stick together and leave to dry for about an hour.
Place a large pot of water to the boil with a couple of tablespoons of salt and plunge in the pasta. Stir immediately to prevent any noodles from initially sticking to each other. The noodles are ready as soon as they remount to the surface, after about 3-5 minutes (depending on thickness).
Notes
To Serve: toss in butter or olive oil with sautéd garlic and season to taste. Add some chopped fresh herbs like flat leaf parsley, basil or chives at the end to preserve their flavours and vitamins. Delicious with nettle pesto or goat cheese pasta sauce.