Many children, and even a percentage of adults, have never had fresh pasta. All they know is that pasta comes dry in a box or bag. Not only is the texture of cooked fresh pasta superior to dry, the process of making it can be quite liberating. Making a well in the measured flour and mixing the dough directly on the countertop is an experience that everyone should try. And if you have children or grandchildren, get them involved - they will be amazed that you will be making dinner from raw ingredients on the counter.

Yes, this does require more effort than opening a box, but the results are amazing. Take a Sunday afternoon, put on some music by Pavarotti and make a month's supply. It can be frozen quite nicely, if care is taken to not compress the fragile pasta dough back into a solid mass. For freezing, I use a large plastic container and put "nests" of freshly cut/floured pasta side by side, not stacked, in the container. Seal tightly and try to use it up within three to six months.

Each nest can then be removed easily and directly put into salted boiling water direct from frozen, without having to thaw or cook more than you need.

One last note: Pasta dough can be rolled and cut by hand, but perfection will come from buying a good quality hand-crank pasta machine. Beware, you get what you pay for; be willing to spend anywhere from $80 to $120 or more. I followed this advice in 1989 and still have the same pasta machine today. Enjoy!

dez@chefdez.com