fresh carrot pasta dough

i’m aspiring to make our household a little bit healthier, so the other night, rather than just making traditional homemade pasta, i decided to get creative. i saw that we had some fresh carrots in the fridge + wondered if i could make carrot pasta. a quick google search turned up martha stewart’s fresh carrot dough recipe, + conveniently i already had all of the ingredients in the house. carrot pasta it is!

i also whipped up a quick fresh parmesan sauce to toss with the pasta, + at the last minute, added peas (pictured below). my inspiration was the phrase, ‘we go together like peas + carrots.’ a bit cheesy, i know, but it turned out to be a great decision. the pasta was light, slightly sweet + absolutely delicious. it worked beautifully with the parmesan sauce, peas, + some fresh cracked pepper + kosher salt. mmm!

one other note: this recipe makes a pound of dough. i actually made four flavors, each 1/4 of a pound. in addition to the recipe posted below, i improvised a cracked pepper + salt carrot pasta (pictured above), a curried carrot pasta, + a carrot ginger pasta. the other recipes will make an appearance soon!

fresh carrot pasta dough

makes about a pound, adapted from martha stewart

ingredients

6 ounces carrots (3 to 4 medium), peeled + cut into 1-inch pieces
2 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
coarse salt
semolina flour, for storage

directions

add 2 inches of water to a medium saucepan, + fit with a steamer insert. bring to a simmer. add carrots; cover, + steam until softened, about 10 minutes. puree carrots in a food processor (you should have about 1/2 cup puree).

add eggs + yolk to puree in food processor – process until combined. add flour + 1 heaping teaspoon salt, + process until dough just comes together, about 20 seconds.
transfer dough to a well-floured surface. knead until smooth + elastic, 5 – 10 minutes, adding up to 2 tablespoons flour if dough is too sticky. place on a piece of parchment, + cover with an inverted bowl, or wrap tightly in plastic; let rest for 1 – 2 hours.

cut dough into 8 pieces. working with 1 piece at a time (keep the remaining pieces covered with the inverted bowl), flatten dough into an oblong shape slightly thinner than the pasta machine’s widest setting (number 1). dust dough very lightly with flour, + feed through machine. fold lengthwise into thirds + rotate 90 degrees. repeat twice on same setting to smooth dough + increase its elasticity.

turn the dial to next narrower setting. pass dough through twice, gently supporting it with your palm. continue to press dough, passing it through ever-finer settings, two passes on each setting, until sheet is almost translucent + very thin but still intact (number 5 of 8 on a KitchenAid pasta roller). the dough will stretch to about 16 inches long. if dough bubbles or tears, pass it through again, + dust with flour if the dough is sticking.

for farfalle, lasagna squares, or ravioli: place rolled sheet on a lightly floured surface, + cut out as directed in corresponding recipe, using a dry brush to dust flour off if needed. for ribbon pastas: place dough on a drying rack until slightly tacky, 10 to 15 minutes, + then use a pasta machine or cutting attachment to cut into strands. drape over rack until strands are semidry + won’t stick together, about 20 minutes. cook immediately, or lay flat on a baking sheet dusted with semolina, cover tightly with plastic wrap, + refrigerate overnight.

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