Making Fresh Egg Pasta
This is a rhythmic process. Once you feel the dough transition from a sticky, chaotic heap into a firm, elastic sphere, you will never go back to dried boxes.
Temperature and texture are your only gauges.
The humidity in your kitchen changes how much flour the eggs will absorb. Add the flour slowly to maintain control.
- large wooden board
- bench scraper
- pasta machine or rolling pin
- plastic wrap
What goes in.
- 400gTipo 00 flour
- 4large eggs, room temperature
- 1/2 tspfine sea salt
Developing the Elasticity
Push the heel of your hand into the dough, fold it back over itself, and turn it. Repeat this for a full ten minutes until the indentation of your thumb springs back immediately.
The method.
Form the well
Mound the flour on your work surface and create a wide, deep crater in the center. Crack the eggs into the well and add the salt.
Incorporate the flour
Using a fork, beat the eggs gently, pulling in small amounts of flour from the inner walls of the crater until a thick paste forms.
Form the dough
Use your bench scraper to fold the remaining flour into the center. Once it forms a shaggy ball, stop adding flour, even if some is left on the board.
Knead
Work the dough with the heels of your hands. If it feels too tacky, dust your hands with a tiny amount of flour, but avoid over-flouring or the pasta will be brittle.
Rest
Wrap the ball tightly in plastic. Let it sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes; this allows the gluten to soften so you can roll it out thin.
Other turns to take.
Semolina Pasta
Replace 100g of the Tipo 00 flour with fine semolina flour for a firmer bite.
Herbed Dough
Fold finely minced parsley or chives into the dough during the final stages of kneading.
When it doesn't go to plan.
If the dough feels impossible to roll, let it rest for another 15 minutes. It is just fighting you because the gluten is too tight.
Keep your work surface lightly floured while rolling, but brush away excess before cutting.
When cooking, use a large pot with plenty of water; fresh pasta releases more starch than dry and needs the room to move.
The ones that keep coming up.
Why is my dough cracking?
The dough is too dry. Wet your hands with a few drops of water and continue kneading until the moisture is incorporated.
Can I use an electric mixer?
You can use the paddle attachment to mix, but the final kneading must be done by hand to properly feel the tension of the dough.
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