Simple and quick fresh fettuccine recipe

I’ve done it, Babyologists. I’ve climbed aboard the electric pasta machine bandwagon and I’m not looking back. Not only have I discovered just how brilliant fresh pasta tastes, it’s so good, it doesn’t need a whole lot of dressing up in sauces either. Here I give you a recipe for a super quick dinner (or lunch) using barely any ingredients – and I promise it tastes delicious!

If you’ve been sitting on the fence about buying an electric pasta machine, you might want to take a peek in here to see the magic of fresh pasta extrusion for yourself.

As the proud carb-loving owner of a Philips Pasta & Noodle Maker, I can tell you it’ll likely take you longer to boil the pot of water to cook your pasta in, than what it does to make it. The Philips model I have takes just 10 minutes to make 300g of pasta (as I have here, serving two to three) or 15 minutes to feed the whole family with 600g of fresh pasta – all with minimum mess and zero wastage. I know, it blows my mind.

Ingredients

for the pasta

00 flour
1 egg
water

for everything else

olive oil
1-2 cloves of garlic
1 red chilli
200g uncooked prawn meat (I buy frozen prawn meat so I always have it on hand, if you prefer fresh from your fish monger that’s fine too)
a decent handful of cherry tomatoes, quartered
a bunch of fresh basil
salt and cracked black pepper
Parmesan cheese (optional)

Method

• Prepare a pot of water on the stove top to cook your pasta in. Prepare your ingredients to make your fresh pasta and have a floured surface ready to lay your fresh pasta on.

• The Philips Pasta & Noodle Maker ingredients are measured using the jugs which came with the machine. For 300g of pasta, it uses one 250g jug of 00 flour and the fluid jug contains one egg emulsified with water to make 95ml of fluid.

• Tip the flour into the machine and turn it on. I let it churn/sift for a few seconds before slowly pouring the egg and water mix through the holes in the lid. The pasta dough will knead in the machine for three minutes before extruding.

• Thinly slice a couple of cloves of garlic and a third of the red chilli. Leave the seeds in for a little heat, otherwise remove them.

• Heat a pan over medium high heat on the stove and add a decent glug of olive oil – this will be what coats the pasta and we want to infuse it beautifully so there’s no need to be stingy.

• Add the sliced chilli and garlic and cook for a minute or two.

• Start to cook your pasta – this will only take five or so minutes to cook. Meanwhile add the prawns to the pan and cook until the prawn flesh has turned white/pink. Add the quartered cherry tomatoes, season and stir. Slice a small bunch of basil, you’ll add this at the end.

• Drain your pasta and return pasta to the pot. Tip the prawn and tomato oil mix into the pasta and give a stir to combine. Add shredded basil.

Plate up and add a few extra basil leaves, fresh chilli plus a quick shave of parmesan if you fancy and you’re good to tuck in. Too easy – and scrumptious!

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