The truck was in the shop today getting the ABS fixed, so I was stuck in the house with nothing to do. Well, an idle mind is the devil's workshop, so I decided to make homemade noodles for the beef stew I was making for dinner. So here goes for those who always wanted to make noodles. It's really easy, especially if you have a pasta machine. I got mine at the Thrift Shop for $6.99.

1 C. All purpose flour

1 Egg

1 tsp. Salt

1 Tbs. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 ½ tsp. Basil

2 T Water (as needed)

If using a pasta machine, follow machine directions for making noodles, using one section of dough log at a time. Finished dough should be rolled on lowest setting. Be sure to allow rolled out dough to dry a bit before feeding into noodle rollers. Never put sticky dough through the machine rollers.

If using a rolling pin, roll dough to 1/16" thick or a little thinner, turning the dough from front to back several times on a floured surface. Allow to dry for 10 minutes (you can lightly flour the dough to speed up drying if it's tacky). Roll up the dough into a log like a jellyroll, and cut the log into ½ inch wide segments using a very sharp knife on a cutting board (to save the edge on your knife). Unroll segments and allow to dry on a pasta drying rack or on a flour dusted linen towel for about ½ hour. Here's my homemade drying rack.

Coil up pasta into loose piles and put in freezer in an air-tight container, or cook in salted water or stock about 15 minutes to use immediately. Here's dinner of beef stew with homemade egg noodles and Challah bread…good, simple comfort food. ~ Joe (the doughgod)