Homemade pasta mania

Last weekend I spend with my best friend Anna and her sweet little daughter at my parents home. Besides of course sharing time with my parents and revelling in memories we had a clear mission: Letting my mother’s new pasta maker run hot!

For two days we tested all of her matrices that form different shapes of pasta: Campanelle, Trulli, Spaghetti, Tagliatelle, Fusilli, Mafaldine, … We made all of them and a whole lot! We experienced with wheat and spelt semolina, made pasta with and without eggs (the rather pale ones). We even gave lentil flour a try. A real advantage of this machine is that you can make really big batches in not much time. And as the machine workes with a lot of pressure there is not much liquid (and therefore later drying time) needed, the dough actually is more like streusel that are pressed into shape.

For lunch  – of course – we had pasta: my father’s homemade Maultaschen (Swabian filled pasta) that he prepared for us with the loveliest dedication!

And while sitting at the table at which we had so many dinners with friends in our youth, while looking at the dark sky at night in which you could see so many stars (I always forget about this stunning nights in this rural area. As a teenager this wasn’t probably our prior interest.), we were pondering about this big German word Heimat:

How much is it linked with a specific location? Or is it more about the people with whom we shared experiences here? What if they are not there anymore? Is it this special place anymore? I guess, it always will be, because it’s still linked with all those experiences we made at this place. – But is this the only way Heimat can be experienced? Or can you carry your Heimat with you, like a snail carries its shell? Be at home in transit? And what about the so called “second home”? Will it always be some kind of ‘second quality’ or can it develop at least into an equivalent? – Many questions, but little clear answers. But one thing I got more aware again – that it is a great gift that I have this place called Heimat.

Of course I couldn’t resist to design some nice little labels for packaging my batch of pasta at home. Nice packaging isn’t all of course, but I think it can bring out the uniqueness of a produce … and makes a nice gift as well.

The first handful of Trulli, still, was just for me. And, in memory of the weekend I prepared them in this one way that brings me back to my childhood, especially to my grandmother’s kitchen. “Nudeln mit Brösele” – a side that was served with Sunday roast. I have no idea if this is eaten somewhere else as well, for me it is closely linked with my home region.

As it is maximum simple this isn’t really a recipe, but some loose indications:

Nudeln mit Brösele (pasta with bread crumbs) 
Pasta with some kind of wavy/rolling surface are perfect for this dish as they keep the crumbs best. 

Cook pasta in salt water and set aside. In a pan heat butter and add bread crumbs. Brown the bread crumbs until they smell nutty. Toss pasta in the crumbs. Optionally add some salt and pepper.