Homemade Egg-Free Spelt Flour Pasta with Mushroom Bolognese

This post was sponsored by Hockley Valley Spelt Flour, available at Loblaws, Real Canadian Superstore, Zehrs, and Fortino’s grocery stores.

After my last post about how to make fresh pasta from scratch using spelt flour and egg, I received many requests from readers to do an egg-free version. This was an exciting idea for me, because I love exploring new ways to create a base recipe (like pasta) that can be utilized in so many different recipes, and that can become a staple for other people who love to cook, especially those who are allergic to egg.

The key to getting this dough right, since there are only three ingredients, is to balance the flour and water and to let it dry out before cooking. If the dough is too soft, your pasta will be soggy. If you don’t let the noodles dry out, they will be more likely to stick together which compromises the texture.

I cut my dough into long fettuccine by hand, but I will say that it lends itself very well to short, or “cut” pastas like orecchiette (pictured below, to the far left of the pasta machine).

peanut free, nut free, dairy free, egg free, soy free, fish and shellfish free

Ingredients
2 1/4 cups Hockley Valley Light Spelt Flour, plus extra for dusting
2/3 cup water
1/2 tsp sea salt

the mushroom bolognese sauce:
3 tbsp olive oil
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
225g of mushrooms (or 1 pint container) finely diced
1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh basil
2 tbsp roughly chopped fresh oregano
1 tin of Italian plum tomatoes (about 750 ml), preferably San Marzano tomatoes
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup of pasta water

the pasta:

Add the flour, water, and sea salt to a bowl. Gently mix it together with your hands until it forms a ball of dough. Humidity can affect the texture of the dough. It should not be sticky. If it’s too moist, add a bit more flour. Knead the dough for a minute in order to develop the gluten in the spelt flour. It should have a bit of resistance but should not be tough. Form the dough into a disc, wrap with parchment or put in a glass container, and let rest in the fridge for a half hour.

Once the dough is rested, set up your pasta station with a basic pasta machine, parchment paper or a clean work surface for shaping the dough, and flour for dusting. Cut the dough into quarters and feed each length through the rollers twice on level 2 and then twice on level 4. Then it’s time for cutting into your desired shape. For rustic fettuccine, use a sharp knife and make careful cuts along the length of the dough. For orecchiette, cut the dough into 1/2 inch square pieces and use your thumb to create a rounded shape. Dust the pasta with flour after shaping, lay out, and let dry for at least an hour before cooking. This prevents the dough from sticking together.

Bring the water to a boil and add the pasta, making sure not to over-crowd the pot. Let boil for one minute, then skim out with a spider or a spaghetti scooper and transfer to the pan with the sauce. Repeat until all of the pasta is cooked.

The mushroom bolognese sauce:

Add the olive oil, garlic, and mushrooms to a large pan and saute until browned. Add the herbs and tin of tomatoes, breaking up the tomatoes with a fork. Simmer on medium heat for 45 minutes - an hour. This can be simmering while your pasta dries. Season with salt and pepper to taste. It should reduce by about a third. When transferring the cooked noodles to the pan of sauce, add about 1/4 cup of pasta water to loosen up the sauce. Let it all cook together for a minute or so to allow all of the flavors to meld together. Garnish with more fresh herbs and serve hot.

Serves 2