Homemade Pasta
Ingredients:
3 1/2 cups 00 flour or all-purpose flour (see note)
4 eggs
1 Tbsp. salt
Directions:
Whisk eggs and salt together in a small bowl until combined. Mound flour onto a clean work surface. Using your hands, make a well in the center about 3 inches in diameter. Pour egg mixture in the center and using a fork, slowly begin to incorporate the flour into the egg mixture until dough begins to form.
Using a dough scraper, flip dough, slowly incorporating flour until dough is firm enough to knead. Knead for 5-10 minutes until dough is firm and smooth. Cover with a clean inverted bowl and let rest for 30 minutes. (Note: You will have additional flour left over which can be reserved for rolling out the pasta.)
Fill a large pot with water, a generous amount of salt and a splash of olive oil to prevent the pasta from sticking together. Heat to a boil. While water is heating, cut pasta dough into 8 equal pieces. Place one piece of the dough on a lightly floured work surface and cover the remaining pieces with the inverted bowl to prevent them from drying out. Flatten the dough into a rectangle shape and starting on the widest setting, pass through the rollers of the pasta maker. Run through one additional time at widest setting, folding as needed to make sure it can fit through the machine and dusting with flour if it is sticky.
Adjust machine to the next narrower setting and run the dough through again. Continue until machine is at the next to narrowest setting (setting #5 on most pasta makers).
For Lasagna: Transfer rolled out pasta sheet to a clean lightly floured surface and repeat process with remaining dough until you have 8 long sheets. Make sure to not allow them to touch or they will stick together. If you don’t have enough counter space, you can also drape them on the backs of your dining room chairs or on a collapsible clothesline.
For Pappardelle: Transfer rolled out pasta sheet to a clean lightly floured surface, then cut lengthwise into 1-inch ribbons. Repeat process with remaining dough. Make sure to not allow them to touch or they will stick together. If you don’t have enough counter space, you can also drape them on the backs of your dining room chairs or on a collapsible clothesline.
For Fettuccine/Spaghetti/Angel Hair: Attach desired cutter to your pasta machine and pass through one additional time. Hang on the back of a chair or collapsible clothesline to dry. Repeat process with remaining pasta dough.
Fill a large bowl with ice water and about 2 Tbsp. of olive oil. Once water in the pot reaches a boil, cook pasta in batches until just cooked, 1-2 minutes. Use tongs to transfer to the bowl of ice water. Repeat until all pasta has been cooked.
