Easy Pasta Recipe with Kids!

It’s no surprise that Javi is becoming a picky eater. I guess it’s the age or something! One day he loves cheese — the next day he hates it. Sometimes he wants a banana at breakfast — other days he acts like he would never TOUCH a banana. Just the other day he told us he no longer eats pizza! 🙂 But whenever we include him in the cooking/meal prep process he eats better!

Pasta is sort of our go-to with him. He rarely ever fights eating pasta (though he is currently boycotting red sauce). But to liven up our Sunday we decided to show him (and Lola) how to make it from scratch. This recipe has five pretty basic steps and only requires three ingredients (though, honestly, makes a huge mess!). But they LOVED helping out so the mess was worth it!

Ingredients:

• 3 1/2 to 4 cups of all-purpose flour
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil

How to make it:

Step 1: Mound 3 1/2 cups of the flour in the center of a large cutting board. Make a well in the middle of the flour and add the eggs and olive oil. Using a fork, beat together the eggs and oil and begin to incorporate the flour, starting with the inner rim of the well. As you expand the well, keep pushing the flour up from the base of the mound to retain the well shape.

Step two: The dough will come together when half of the flour is incorporated. At this point, start kneading the dough with both hands, using the palms of your hands.

Step three: Once there is a cohesive mass, remove the dough from the board and scrape up and discard any leftover bits. Lightly re-flour the board and continue kneading for a few more minutes. The dough should be elastic and a little sticky.

Step four: Wrap the dough in plastic and allow to rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.

Step five: Roll or shape as desired. We use this pasta maker and this drying rack.

And yes, flour was everywhere. 🙂 but both kids ate two plate fulls so 🙂