[Valentine] "Hearty" Chicken Soup

 Get it?  "Hearty".  I crack myself up.

Have you ever made your own pasta?  I remember making it once or twice with my Mom after my brother returned from an extended stay in Italy.  He brought home a pasta maker, and we gave it a go.  Other than that, I don't remember much about it.  I've been wanting to try making my own pasta noodles for some time now.  Today was the day.

The recipe couldn't be easier.  Mix 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour with 2 eggs.  Add a little salt (1/4 tsp) and olive oil (1/2 tsp) if you want to.   My recipe said to mix it in a food processor.  But, I don't have one.  So, I threw the flour and the eggs into my Bosch and pulsed it a few times. 

Then I dumped it out onto my pastry cloth.  (Do you use a pastry cloth?  I LOVE it!)  I kneaded it for a few minutes until it came together nicely in a little ball, like this:

Now cover it and let it rest for about ten minutes.

When you are ready, get out your rolling pin and get to work.  A pasta machine would be nice, but not necessary.  The dough is kind of stiff.  It takes a little muscle.  Just keep working it.  You want it very very thin.  Much thinner than you think.  Cover it with a damp towel and let it rest again if it is giving you too much resistance.

Now let it sit uncovered for about ten minutes to dry.

After you have let it dry, you are ready to cut your noodles.  In honor of the "love" holiday tomorrow, I cut out some cute little hearts.

If you are going to cook them right away, let them dry for about thirty more minutes.  If you are going to store them, let them dry completely.

When you are ready to cook your pasta, bring a large pot of water to boil.  Add salt to the water to increase the boiling point and to flavor your pasta.  Boil your noodles for about 3-5 minutes. Mine were probably thicker than they should have been, so they took a little longer.

*****

I added my cute little heart shaped noodles to homemade chicken soup.  A few days ago we had a roasted chicken for dinner.  There was quite a bit of meat left.  I just cut it into bite-sized chunks and added it to some chicken broth.  I also added carrots, onions, celery, and peas.  You can add whatever vegetables your family likes.  Season it with salt and pepper and whatever else makes you happy.  Don't forget to add your noodles!!  Serve it up with some fresh bread or crackers.

Hearty Chicken Soup--it's delicious!