I’m very aware that it’s not particularly easy to find a lot of staples in the grocery store right now. Bread, milk, and pasta are scarce. As is toilet paper. Life’s a little crazy, to say the least. I’ve been trying to share recipes that you can make when you can’t find what you need in the grocery store. Earlier this week I shared my bread recipe (followed by yesterday’s toast recipe, thanks for everyone who had a good sense of humor on April Fool’s Day 😉). I’m working on a flourless cookie recipe and a yeast-less bread since I know those ingredients can be scarce.* Or expensive, my dad paid over $6 for a 3-pack of yeast sachets earlier this week! That’s where today’s egg noodle recipe comes in. I know pasta can be tough to find right now, and traditional pasta can be difficult to make and often requires a machine. Today I’ll show you how to make your own egg noodles, perfect for using in any recipe that calls for them, or for boiling and enjoying with butter or your favorite sauce. No machine required.
How to Make Egg Noodles
There’s no mixer or machine needed today. Simply toss together flour, salt, eggs, and a splash of water and use a fork to work the ingredients together until you have a smooth, sticky ball of dough. Add more flour as needed until the dough is tacky to the touch but not overly sticky. Knead with your hands on a well-floured surface for 5-10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic. Let it rest, roll it out, slice it up, and you’re done.
How to Use
Egg noodles are versatile. My mom usually tosses them into her homemade creamy chicken noodle soup and they can also be used with beef stroganoff or any other recipe that calls for egg noodles. I like to cook them, drain them, and then toss with butter, black pepper, and parmesan cheese. Makes for a great side dish! They can be used immediately after they’re cut or they can be dried and saved to be used later (more on that below). To cook egg noodles, drop them into a pot of boiling, well-salted water. Cook until tender (they should still be a bit chewy after cooking). How long the noodles take to cook depends on how thick they are and the time can range from 5-15 minutes (or even longer!).
Tips for Making Egg Noodles
I’m going to try to type these tips as coherently as possible, but right now Luke’s experiencing what I can only imagine must be a 4 month sleep regression so forgive me in advance for any typos.
These Noodles are Foolproof:
Dough too sticky? Add more flour, as much as you need, until you get the right consistency. Accidentally added a bit too much flour? Another splash of water will fix things for you.
Rest the dough
This recipe calls for 20 minutes of allowing the dough to rest. This helps keep the dough from shrinking when you roll it out and results in smoother noodles.
When Rolling:
Work with just a portion of the dough (about ¼-1/3) at a time. While rolling out one portion, keep the others covered so they don’t begin to dry out. I like to use a pizza cutter to easily cut the noodles into strips (you can make them whatever width/length you’d like) but a sharp knife will also work. Roll the noodles paper thin. They’ll plump up as they boil, so get them as thin as you can with a rolling pin. Unless you just happen to like fat noodles, that’s fine too. Keep in mind they’ll just take longer to cook. Use additional flour liberally so that the noodles don’t stick to your surface, the rolling pin, or each other.
How to Make In Advance
Egg noodles can be made in advance and dried. To dry them you can lay them out over a clean towel or hang them on a pasta drying rack (some people even use coat hangers to dry their pasta, work with what you’ve got!). Once completely dried, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for several days or in the freezer for several months.
Enjoy! And if anyone has tips for getting a 4 month old to sleep through the night, or at least part of the night, I’m all (a very tired set of) ears
More Pantry-Staple Recipes You Might Like:
My favorite bread recipe Biscuits No-Bake Cookies Crazy Cake Bagels
*I’d love to know what kind of other recipes you’d like to see? More pantry staples? Or have you suddenly found yourself with a lot of free time and would you like to learn to master more difficult recipes, like French macarons or croissants? Prefer dinner recipes? Let me know, I want to share the things you’d like to see! Are you more of a visual learner? Check out my YouTube channel where I show you exactly how I make this recipe step-by-step in my own kitchen.
