Have children put on the ol' aprons, wash up those hands and get to work!
Ingredients:
3 eggs
1 tbsp. oil
2 c. flour
In a medium bowl, mix the eggs and oil together with a fork. Add as much flour as needed to make a soft, but no longer sticky dough. If you add the whole 2 cups and it's still sticky, add some more. Gather the dough into a ball and knead on a floured surface until resilient, 5-10 minutes. Cover and let rest 10 minutes.
Story: While dough is 'resting,' gather the children around for story time. Read Strega Nona by Tomie dePaola (a fantastic story about a magic pot that makes pasta) Have children think of the many ways to eat pasta, and ask if they have a favorite.
And back to pasta making:
Roll dough as thin as possible on a floured surface. Make sure the dough isn't stuck to the surface, then leave it to dry for 15 minutes, turning once. Once it is dry, loosely roll it and cut across the rolls with a knife or leave it flat and cut strips with a cutting wheel or knife. Cook as you would packaged pasta (although, it
may cook slightly faster than packaged pasta would, so keep an eye on it!)
Serve pasta with your family's favorite topping, or present a buffet of toppings, and allow everyone to choose their own (Spaghetti, pesto, or alfredo sauce, grated cheese, cream of chicken soup, veggies and italian dressing...the possibilities are endless!)
Easy Italian-Style Tomato Sauce (Borrowed from Dianaskitchen.com)
* 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil (or veg. oil)
* 1 medium onion
* 1 medium green pepper, chopped
* 1 clove garlic, minced
* 1 tablespoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon
pepper
* 1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
* 2 cans (14.5 ounces each) diced or crushed tomatoes
* 1 teaspoon dried leaf oregano
* 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Heat oil; sauté onions, pepper and garlic in the oil until tender. Add salt, pepper, tomato paste, tomatoes, and oregano (may also add mushrooms, carrots, and other veggies as well.) Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in cheese before serving or serve cheese separately. Serve with hot cooked and drained spaghetti or similar pasta. Serves 6 to 8. Meat version: Sauté 1/2 pound of lean ground beef with the onions, peppers and garlic until browned. Proceed with recipe.
Dish up, light a candle, and enjoy.
