Making Fresh Egg Pasta
Fresh pasta requires only flour, eggs, and patience. You mound the flour, create a well for the eggs, incorporate them slowly with a fork, and knead until the dough is smooth, elastic, and snaps back when poked.
Respect the rest
The gluten needs time to relax after kneading. If you try to roll it out immediately, the dough will fight back and shrink.
- large wooden cutting board
- bench scraper
- pasta machine or rolling pin
- plastic wrap
What goes in.
- 400g00 flour
- 4 largeeggs
- 1 tspextra virgin olive oil (optional)
- pinchsea salt
The fork-and-swipe method
Use a fork to pull flour from the inner walls of your well into the egg mixture slowly; this creates a paste that prevents the eggs from breaking through the flour ring prematurely.
The method.
Form the well
Dump the flour onto a clean wooden surface. Use your fingers to create a wide, deep well in the center, ensuring the walls are high enough to hold all the eggs.
Incorporate
Crack the eggs into the well. Whisk them gently with a fork, slowly drawing in small amounts of flour from the inside of the wall until a thick slurry forms.
Gather
Once the mixture is too thick for the fork, use your bench scraper to fold the remaining flour into the center. Scrape up every bit until a shaggy mass forms.
Knead
Use the heel of your hand to push the dough away from you, then fold it back over. Repeat for 10 minutes. The texture should change from rough to smooth and satiny.
Rest
Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap. Let it sit at room temperature for 30 to 60 minutes.
Roll
Cut the dough into quarters. Keep three pieces covered while you roll the first. Use a machine or rolling pin to flatten until you can see the shadow of your hand through the sheet.
Other turns to take.
Semolina pasta
Replace half the 00 flour with fine-ground semolina for a firmer, chewier bite.
Spinach pasta
Add 100g of finely chopped, blanched, and squeezed-dry spinach to the egg mixture before incorporating.
When it doesn't go to plan.
If the dough feels dry and cracks, wet your hands with water and continue kneading.
Do not skip the resting phase; the dough will be impossible to roll thin without it.
Use a wooden surface; the slight porosity helps grip the dough during the initial kneading stages.
The ones that keep coming up.
Why did my pasta turn out tough?
Usually, this means it was overworked or the flour-to-egg ratio was too high in flour. Ensure you measure by weight rather than volume.
Can I freeze this?
Yes. Dust it well with flour, shape it into nests, and freeze on a tray. Once solid, transfer to a freezer-safe bag.
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