Pasta is a staple for many: delicious and easy to make. Most people make their pasta from the store: Kraft’s Mac and Cheese, Instant Ramen, or boil-for-eight-minutes pasta. But there are healthier alternatives to large-scale commercial pasta that you can make at home!
All fresh pasta recipes typically have the same process and ingredients as a base: Make a nest of all-purpose flour and salt, then make a small “lake” with eggs and olive oil. Gradually combine the wet and dry ingredients with a fork, then knead until the mixture can be formed into a smooth ball. Let the dough rest for about 30 minutes, then shape the pasta into your preferred form using a variety of techniques from a fork to a pasta rollers.
You can add vegetables to your homemade pasta. If you have carrots, you can puree the carrots to a pulp, add it to the “lake” in the flour with your eggs and olive oil, then proceed as normal. Adding carrots make your pasta a nice orange color, as well as make the pasta more flavorful and sweet. You can also substitute or combine the carrots with other vegetables, such as pumpkin, leek, sweet potato, and butternut squash. If it’s a vegetable, chances are you can add it into your pasta dough. Don’t be afraid to experiment!
If you’re feeling adventurous, you can use zucchini as pasta altogether, with no other added ingredients. Zucchini noodles are easy to make, so long as you have the proper tools to shape the zucchini into a noodle or pasta shape. Spiralizers, peelers, and mandolines can easily turn zucchini into your preferred shape, and you can then saute, microwave, boil, or even bake your noodles.
I’d recommend looking for specific recipes for more detailed instruction, but these are just a few ways to incorporate more vegetables to your homemade pasta!
