Homemade PASTA
Making your own pasta takes a little work, but it requires little time to cook, and the results are delicious. You need to use:
- 20 ounces all-purpose or Italian “00” flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 large eggs
- Semolina or rice flour, for dusting the dough
- You will need a pasta machine to roll out the dough.
Instructions:
To make by hand, combine the flour and salt on a work surface and shape into a mound.
- Make a well in the center and crack the eggs into it. With a fork, draw the flour into the center of the mound to combine with the eggs and continue to mix with your hands until all the flour is incorporated.
- Dust the surface with a little more flour, if necessary. Knead until the dough is firm, about 5 minutes. The dough will be dry and the flour will soak up the water as it rests. Cover with plastic wrap and rest at room temperature for about 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- Dust lightly with flour and run through a pasta machine, starting at setting 1 and going to 5 or 6 if using a hand-crank “Atlas”-type machine. Cut into the desired shape. I stop at setting 5 and run through the spaghetti attachment for spaghetti and I also make hand-cut or hand-shaped pasta at this thickness. I go to setting 6 for ravioli or paparadelle.
- After I cut the pasta, I dust it heavily with semolina and let it rest at room temperature for an hour. Then I portion and set in plastic bags and freeze for later use.
- I like the “00” flour for pasta and pizza doughs. This is a stronger flour that will give the dough a better mouthfeel in the end, but all-purpose flour will work, too.