Carrot Egg Pasta

Turn dinner a cheerful shade of orange with this homemade carrot pasta. Cooked carrots are pureed and worked right into the dough, lending a natural sweetness, a vibrant color and a sneaky serving of vegetables, handy if you are feeding picky eaters.

The base is durum semolina, the same flour used for quality dried pasta, which gives the noodles a firm, satisfying bite. Eggs enrich the dough and help bind it.

Getting the liquid right is the key to good extruded pasta. The carrot puree and eggs are topped up with water to a precise one cup, then added slowly through the feed tube in a steady stream so the semolina hydrates evenly.

From there, your pasta machine does the kneading and shaping. Follow its manual for the right dough consistency and to extrude your favorite shape. Fresh, colorful pasta is well worth the small effort.

Chef Tips

• Let the carrot puree cool fully before mixing. Warm puree can start to cook the eggs and throw off the dough.
• Measure the combined puree, eggs and water to exactly one cup, so the semolina hydrates to the right consistency.
• Add the liquid slowly through the feed tube, as directed. A sudden pour makes the dough clump unevenly.

Variations

• Use the same method with beet, spinach or roasted red pepper puree for different colors.
• Add a pinch of nutmeg or some fresh herbs to the dough.
• No machine? Knead by hand and roll it out, adjusting the liquid as needed.