In my family, certain recipes are always up for critique. Regardless of how great they are, someone has an opinion to whether it was done the “right” way. These types of recipes in my family are: biscuits, pie dough, Swedish meatballs, and pasta. No matter how good they are, someone in my family has the gull to utter the words “you know, Grandma didn’t do it like that.” The truth is, they’re correct —  but the pressure of cooking it the way grandma did should not keep us from cooking the food we enjoy. If we honor where the recipe originated from, apply integrity while making it, and are having fun, then doing it the “right way” shouldn’t matter. 

When I cook at home, I cut corners to find what works best for me while my 20-month-old is running around testing his boundaries, my four dogs hover around my heels for rogue scraps, and my mother tries to FaceTime at the most inconvenient moments. Making pasta should not be scary; it should be therapeutic and come without judgement. Make this recipe for heartier sauces. It has the durability to hold the weight of tomato and meat sauces and is great for kids with just butter and some parmesan cheese because of its eggy flavor. Have fun making the pasta and ignore the judgement. Your grandma had a grandma that once judged her cooking, too. ––Justin Burke

Pasta for Heartier Sauces 

Ingredients
1½  cups 00 flour
¼ cup semolina flour, plus more for dusting
¼ teaspoon salt
1 large egg, plus 8 yolks

Directions 

1. Using a large bowl, combine the flours and salt and form a well. Add the egg and yolks to the center of the well. Using a fork, slowly start to incorporate the flour into the eggs with a whisking motion until a rough dough forms. If the dough seems a tad dry, add a splash of water, or if the dough seems too wet dust with flour.
2. Lightly flour a work surface and dump the dough onto the floured surface. Knead the dough until it springs back, about 10 to 12 minutes. Flatten and shape the dough into an even square. Wrap the dough with plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for at least 1 hour.
3. Cut the dough into 3 pieces. Set up a pasta roller according to the manufacturer’s directions. Dust one section of the dough with semolina flour and press firmly to flatten the dough to ¼ inch. Roll the dough through the machine on the widest setting. Fold the pasta dough in thirds and dust the outside with flour, then roll it again on the widest setting. Repeat, rolling twice, on each thickness until the desired thickness is reached. 
4. Select the cut of pasta you prefer and send the dough through. Dust the cut pasta with more flour and set aside on a clean sheet pan lined with parchment paper. If you prefer to cut the pasta by hand, use a knife or pizza cutter to cut strips. When cutting by hand, 1 inch by 10 inches works best. Lay the rolled dough out on the counter, cut, and dust with flour. 
5. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta until just al dente, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add pasta to preferred sauce. 

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