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Simple Noodles

Page history last edited by Christopher Penn, Financial Aid Podcast 1 yr ago

Simple Noodles

An incredibly inexpensive method for preparing home-made pasta, using just the basics.

Ingredients

1 egg
1 cup of flour, sifted if possible
4 teaspoons of water
1 teaspoon oil
1/4 teaspoon salt

Equipment

A bowl
A wet paper towel (almost dripping wet, but not quite)
A knife
Measuring cups and spoons
A rolling pin or a wooden dowl

In a bowl, combine all ingredients and knead until a dough is formed that is consistent and even. Mold into a ball.

Cover the ball of dough with a wet paper towel and let sit for an hour.

After an hour, cut the dough into 4 sections. Keep 3 in the bowl, covered with the damp paper towel.

Roll out the dough into a thin, flat sheet. Cut it into noodles with a knife. Dust the noodles with a little bit of flour and let them sit out while they dry. Repeat with the other 3 sections.

Serving/Storing

Noodles can be stored in the freezer after you're done, or used immediately. Because this is home-made, it'll probably cook faster than store-bought. For a little extra flavor and taste, put half a teaspoon of salt into a gallon of boiling water when you boil the noodles. This should serve about the same as a single box of linguini from the store, 4 moderate portions or 2 big portions.

Nutrition

An egg is 6g protein, 4.5g fat, about 150 calories. A cup of flour is 4 ounces, 113g, and all starch, so it's 113g of carbohydrates, which should be 452 calories. This recipe thus is about 602 calories, divided 4 ways, or about 150 calories per serving.

Economics

Estimated cost: $2.25 for a dozen eggs, so figure about 22 cents per egg, given fluctuations on the market. A bag of flour, 5 pounds, is about $4, and one cup of flour is roughly four ounces, so figure about 20 cents for the flour. Water's free, oil and salt kick in about a nickel, total. After all is said and done, call this 47 cents. Barilla's Linguini is going for $1.50/box at Stop and Shop (July 26, 2008, Quincy, Massachusetts) so call this a 2/3 price cut on the brand, probably 1/2 on the generic.