My grandmother, Dorothy, is still going strong at 95. And while she doesn’t cook like she used to, she remains one of my biggest inspirations for cooking and gardening. Thinking of her today prompted me to share one of my favorite recipes she passed down to me: homemade egg noodles.
These homemade egg noodles work beautifully in a pot of chicken soup, of course, but they also substitute for homemade pasta (in Italy, egg pasta is called pasta all’uovo or pasta fresca). I roll the dough out by hand, without a pasta machine, because a) it’s easy, and b) it’s how Grandma always did it.
As the weather cools, it’s time for a batch of homemade noodles to go alongside the remains of a roast chicken or some vegetable Bolognese sauce, don’t you think?
homemade egg noodle recipe
serves 4
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
1–3 teaspoons water
In a small bowl, whisk the eggs and the salt together. Place the flour in a large bowl, and make a well in the center. Add the egg/salt mixture and stir with a fork to combine. Add 1 teaspoon of water and stir to combine. If the dough feels dry or crumbly, add more water a few drops at a time. Dig your hands into the dough and knead for 2 or 3 minutes to combine thoroughly, adding more water or flour if needed to create a smooth dough that's slightly tacky. Transfer the dough to a flour-dusted pastry cloth and divide it into thirds. Turn the mixing bowl over the dough to cover it and let it rest for 30 minutes. Take one portion of dough and dust it liberally (and the pastry cloth) with flour; roll it into a large circle that's as paper-thin as you can get it. If the dough seems too stretchy and doesn't want to roll, let it rest for another 30 minutes. Repeat rolling the other two portions of dough. Set the rolled dough rounds aside on paper towel to dry. The dried dough should feel slightly leathery: rough on the surface but still pliable. When it reaches this point, roll each round into a cylinder and cut the dough into 1/2-inch strips. Unfurl the noodles and place them on a rimmed baking sheet to dry, preferably overnight, tossing occasionally to ensure even drying. To store your homemade egg noodles, place them in a zip-top plastic bag; they'll keep well for 6 months. Cook the noodles for 5 to 8 minutes in well-salted boiling water.
