BY
When I was 23, I got my tonsils out during the last Christmas break of my college career and it was pretty much the most miserable two weeks ever. It didn’t help things that my doctor prescribed me steroids which, I didn’t know at the time but have come to discover since, make me ravenously hungry, but eating stuff hurt. So I ate noodles. A lot of noodles. When I’m sick or scared or sad or otherwise eating my feelings, it’s almost always in the form of noodles. When it comes to carbs, I can take or leave candy and most bread, but noodles are my ultimate comfort food.
My daughter got her tonsils out last week and I was fully prepared for an experience similar to the one I had when I got mine out. I mean, I know they say it’s harder for adults than kids, but she can be very mature sometimes and I was afraid that that maturity would manifest itself in the form of tonsillectomy recovery, but she was actually great. Fine. Very nearly unbothered by the whole thing. Until it came time to go back to school, and then she was suddenly incapacitated and also in need of noodles. She clearly is my daughter.
Chicken noodle soup is my favorite sick food ever. Ever ever. And really, I’m in it for the noodles just as much as anything else. My go-to recipe is this recipe from the darkest corners of the OBB archives. Up until about a year ago, I always used packaged noodles, but my ability to find my favorite noodles is fairly hit and miss, so I decided to learn to make my own noodles. I present you with my Rory Gilmore Pro-Con list of homemade noodles:
CONS:Â
-You have to, you know, make them
-They’re not as pretty. When I say “not as pretty,” I mean “pretty ugly.”
-They make a bigger mess
PROS:
-If you cook them before drying them, they don’t absorb liquid like regular noodles, so if you leave them in your soup, they’re less likely to soak up all the broth.
-It’s fun and highly satisfying to make them.
-They are surprisingly easy.
-They’re so delicious. Much like homemade tortillas, once you start making your own noodles, it’s hard to go back to not-homemade noodles.
You’re going to need 2 cups of all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, egg yolks, a whole egg, milk, and some cold water.
Whisk together the flour and salt. Make a well in the center
and add the egg yolks, eggs,
and milk.
Using a fork, start lightly blending the mixture until it is evenly moistened and looks pebbly (kind of like scrambled eggs.)
Drizzle water, about 1 tablespoon at a time, over the mixture and mix until it starts to come together in a ball (you’ll have to use your hands at some point.) Keep mixing until all the flour has been incorporated but it’s not overly sticky. It’s hard to add too much flour here–the noodle dough will take what it needs and leave the rest.
Sprinkle about 1/4 cup of flour on a clean work surface, having more flour handy if necessary.
Roll half of the dough out onto the work surface, flouring everything along the way (your hands, rolling pin, additional flour for the work surface, etc.) Flour is your friend here–at this point, the dough won’t take in any more than it needs, but it will keep your noodles from sticking to anything and everything. Any excess will just fall off in the cooking or drying process.
Roll the dough until it is paper thin, about 1/16″.
Using a pizza wheel, cut the dough into strips (anywhere from skinny to very wide).
You can also cut the noodles to the desired length, especially if you’re cooking them right away.
You can either cook these immediately in boiling liquid (about 2-3 minutes or until they pop up to the top) or drape them on a clean dowel or pasta drying rack and allow them to dry completely. When dry, break into pieces (or don’t if you don’t want to) Â and then store them in an airtight bag.
Cook for about 3-5 minutes or until tender.
Serve in your favorite noodle soup or with stroganoff, stew, or whatever else you like eating your egg noodles with!
How to Make Homemade Egg Noodles
Recipe adapted from Betty Crocker
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 egg yolks
1 whole egg
2 tablespoons milk
1/4-1/2 cup cold water
Instructions:
Whisk together the flour and salt. Make a well in the center and add the egg yolks, eggs, and milk. Using a fork, start lightly blending the mixture until it is evenly moistened and looks pebbly (kind of like scrambled eggs.) Drizzle water, about 1 tablespoon at a time, over the mixture and mix until it starts to come together in a ball (you’ll have to use your hands at some point.) Keep mixing until all the flour has been incorporated but it’s not overly sticky.
Sprinkle about 1/4 cup of flour on a clean work surface, having more flour handy if necessary. Roll half of the dough out onto the work surface, flouring everything along the way (your hands, rolling pin, additional flour for the work surface, etc.) Roll the dough until it is paper thin, about 1/16″. Using a pizza wheel, cut the dough into strips (anywhere from skinny to very wide). You can also cut the noodles to the desired length, especially if you’re cooking them right away.
You can either cook these immediately in boiling liquid (about 2-3 minutes or until they pop up to the top) or drape them on a clean dowel or pasta drying rack and allow them to dry completely. When dry, break into pieces (or don’t if you don’t want to) Â and then store them in an airtight bag. Cook for about 3-5 minutes or until tender.
Ok I’m trusting you here! I’ve been wanting to try making my own egg noodles and this looks easy enough! Thank you for alleviating my noodle making fears!
Yes, I’ve had some epic noodle fails in the past, too. I was scared, but I’m not scared anymore, haha.
I tried making homemade egg noodles a couple years ago, and they turned out horrible! They were like big fat worms, and they turned GREEN when I cooked them. It was seriously scary. Thank you so much for this! I’m sure these ones will turn out great!
Green??? No! That’s crazy! I wonder what happened? Hahaha! I’m not laughing at you, promise. Just with you. 🙂
I love love love homemade noodles! My favorite was chicken & noodles as a kid, so yummy and comforting. I’m so glad you posted this, as the recipe I use calls for canned milk, part of a can anyway. So, I’m glad I now have a recipe that has stuff that I always have on hand.
Awesome!! Let us know how they turn out! 🙂
Rory Gilmore. You know how to put a smile on a girls face. PS. I love homemade noodles.
🙂
Rory Gilmore pro con list on the day Gilmore girls goes on Netflix!! Perfection.
I totally forgot!!! Celebration, haha!
I’m am old welder and I just jumped in here to say I love your noodles!! Thanks so much for being you! Michael
Thank you, Michael! 🙂
I had my tonsils out at about the same age as you. I thought I was going to die, literally. It was horrible. And the worst part was starting about 10 days after it was over, it just got worse…I’m so glad your daughter did well with it!
It is the WORST–like way worse than any of my c-sections. It took me forever to recover!!
Right now our house is on the market and we are getting ready to move and I teach early morning seminary and we’re getting ready for my son’s Eagle court of honor and my daughter’s baptism and company coming for the big events, but as soon as my life calms down I totally want to try making these. I’ve been doing a lot of 1 egg plus 1 egg white omelets and I’ve been throwing away the extra yolks, but this will be a perfect use for them.
Have you ever made them with all or part whole wheat flour? Do you know if it requires any changes to the recipe? Oh, and how many noodles does it make? Is this equivalent to a 1 pound bag?
I’ve never tried it with wheat noodles, but I’m almost positive you can even use all wheat flour. Once you get the hang of it, it’s a very forgiving recipe, so just play around with it and see what works! 🙂 And I’d say an entire recipe is about equivalent to a 1-pound bag–I usually use half of the noodles right away and dry the other half for later.
Thanks! I love it that you guys always answer our questions.
My second son had almost no pain following his tonsillectomy recovery either which blew me away!
Another way to cut the noodles is to roll the dough up and then slice (as if you are making cinnamon rolls, but way thinner slices).
Awesome tip!! Thank you! 🙂
Perfect! I was going to suggest the same thing but couldn’t think how to describe it. Roll the noodles and slice like cinnamon rolls. Way to figure it out of my head for me!
Sorry about the tonsils, not fun at all!!
But you blew me away with these noodles, don’t mind the ugliness at all, I’m loving how you said they won’t as easily suck up all the juices, how can that be? That is ALWAYS my struggle with chicken noodle soup, store bought noodles get HUUUUUUUUGE and ruin the soup. Thanks for this inspiration!!
Right?? It’s always more like chicken noodle casserole the next night. That no one wants to eat. 🙂
These look so good! Maybe I’ll finally try making my own pasta. What is that material you are rolling on?
It’s a Roul’pat–basically a silicone mat for rolling. 🙂
http://www.amazon.com/Non-Stick-Silicone-Countertop-16-5-Inch-24-5-Inch/dp/B00008T961/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1412174822&sr=8-1&keywords=roulpat