Fresh Herb Fettuccine
It’s almost been a year since we packed up our little family of four, our small 2 bedroom apartment in NYC, and moved to our new beautiful home right outside Chicago. I haven’t talked much about that transition around here, but it’s been a big one. We traded or urban lifestyle, with 10 years of friendships all within one big city, to more space but essentially starting over. I’ve had a few rough spots…missing the city that I lived in for pretty much my entire adult life, and the people who became my closest circle, my second family.
Today marks 11 months since we left New York, and I have to say I’m finally getting into my groove. Slowly making new friendships, feeling really lucky to have what we do and how happy it makes our kids. But man it’s harder to make friends and connections at 34 with two small kids than it is at 22 when single and free as a bird am I right? Either way, the beautiful home, kitchen and extra space as brought with it lots of joy, inspiration, and room to create delicious things, which brings me back to this post.
Don’t be fooled, my fresh pasta-making obsession is far from over. I’ve moved past simply figuring out how to shape and roll pasta and have graduated to flavoring it with delicious things. We have a sweet little herb garden on the rail of our deck that I’ve had so much fun tending to and watching grow. For this pasta I picked pretty much everything, chopped it up, and mixed it into this pasta. The end result was beyond good. Without any sauce or anything, the pasta is so rich and flavorful, it was easy to turn it into a wonderful meal.
I wanted summery simple for the dinner I made with this- garlic, some tomatoes, olive oil and parmesan on top. The herbs in the pasta really shone and it felt like the perfect, filling, not too heavy warm weather dinner. (We didn’t, but add a green salad to the side and even better.)
If you want to try to make fresh pasta and you have a Kitchen Aid mixer I really suggest trying one of their pasta maker attachments. I mentioned I got the Extruder Attachment for Christmas and got the Roller Attachment soon after because I was hooked. Pasta making is so fun and satisfying, thanks for following along on my adventure! (affiliate links)
Fresh Herb Fettuccine
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups semolina flour
- 3 eggs
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh herbs (I used parsley, rosemary, sage, oregano, and thyme.)
- extra flour for dusting
Instructions
- On a flat surface or the bowl of a stand mixer, mix together the flours until combined. Add the chopped herbs.
- Make a well in the center of the bowl and add the eggs.
- Use your hands or the mixer to slowly combine the flour into the eggs until well combined and crumbly.
- Add water, slowly and gradually, until the dough comes together, is soft and supple but not sticky or crumbly. Add flour, water as needed until dough is the right texture.
- Cover the dough and allow to rest for at least 30 minutes.
- Break off pieces of dough to roll through your pasta maker. I rolled mine out to a 5 thickness.
- Dust with flour and layer on a cookie sheet between parchment paper until ready to cut.
- Cut pasta, brushing with more flour. Dry on a rack, cook right away, or make into "nests" until ready to use.
- To cook, boil salted water and cook pasta for 3-4 minutes until your desired level of al dente!
Notes
*You can use any combo of AP and Semolina flour that you want. I like half and half.
I love the pasta but I definitely love you addressing your move from the city to the suburbs (I don’t even like to use that word). It comes at such a great time because in a few weeks, we are saying goodbye to a cramped apartment life in the center of Paris and moving our little family to an actual house outside of the city. First we could never afford to buy in Paris anyway, at least nothing that could comfortably house a family of 4 and a big dog.
I am super nervous about making friends because the french are notorious closed and difficult to develop a real friendship. I have been in the city, much like you, for 10 years, the most formative years of my adult life. I know it is going to be a huge adjustment, there will probably be some tears, but I am hoping that seeing my little family happy together it will feel worth it. After all, attitude is everything. That is what my mom keeps telling me.
Thank you for sharing you experience!
Kate I’m so excited for you! It’s hard for sure but so rewarding to have a bigger home and more space for the kids. Your boys will have so much room to grow.
Luckily you won’t be too far from your beloved Paris and you can continue taking the kids there so they always love and appreciate it. I hope we can take the kids back to New York too. xoxo
great recipe. Like fresh fettuccine with sun dried tomatoes in oil, 3 to 4 Oz chopped plus 2 tbsp of the oil, 2 tbsp Italian Seasoning, broccoli forests in bite size pieces and snow pea pods. I just throw the broccoli in with the fettuccine and during last minute of cooking add the snow peas. Keeps the veggies from over cooking then drain it all put in big bowl and add tomatoes and oil and seasonings. Just toss and voila! Dinner is served! Great in summer and I think the fresh herb pasta would really enhance the flavor. Thanks for the wonderful site. Found you through article in Country Living about pumpkin recipes. From NYC and Long Island originally. Love Chicago from visiting and hope you enjoy it!
That sounds wonderful- thanks for the suggestion and for stopping by! :)
Thank you for all the wonderful recipes you share! I love reading your emails and visiting your site. The pasta sounds delicious! I don’t have a pasta maker but might have to get one to try this delicious looking recipe. Keep them coming! :)
I’ve been wondering whether you were still pasta-making!! Love that you’ve started to play around with flavor infusions. I don’t know if you follow Salty Seattle on Instagram, but she makes the CRAZIEST pastas and every time I see one I think of you and your pasta-making!
I love to make homemade pasta and ravioli. I’m looking forward to trying this with fresh herbs. Just for clarification, when you say semolina flour, you are referring to the coarse grind, right? I have also used durum flour which is very fine. Thank you for the lovely post!
Hi Deb! I use semolina which is a bit more coarse, but durum flour would also work! Many people like to mix all 3 into their pasta flour blend :)
Yay-so happy you’re finding your groove!! And this pasta looks AH AH MAZINGGGGGG
Sorry for the late comment, just wanted to throw in my two cents of encouragement. Once your littles start school, it will open up SO many connections and friendships. My daughters are both in college now but I have made lifelong close friendships that started at our little girls’ playdates, dance classes, and soccer games!
This was my first time making homemade pasta and it came out perfectly!! I used about 1/4 cup freshly chopped rosemary and basil. Thank you!