Fresh pasta is one of life’s simple pleasures. Early on when I was teaching Italian cooking classes on a regular basis, I took Mio Marito aside and taught him how to make fresh pasta so he would be able to assist with my less experienced students. He mastered the technique and has become the family pasta expert. With a few broken eggs and a little practice, I’m sure you will do the same.
Pasta Fresca all'Uovo - Fresh Egg Pasta
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Author: Paula Barbarito-Levitt
Recipe type: Primi
Serves: 6 to 8 servings as a Primi, 4 servings as a Secondi
Ingredients
- 5 large eggs
- 4 cups of all purpose of 00 flour
Instructions
- Have a fork, strainer, and bench scraper at hand. Place the flour in a mound on a counter or wooden board, make a well in the center of the flour and crack the eggs into the well. With a fork, first mix together the eggs. Begin to incorporate the flour from the inner rim of the well, always incorporating fresh flour from the lower part, pushing it under the dough - keeping the dough free from sticking to the work surface.
- When about half the flour has been absorbed, start kneading the dough, always using the palms of your hands, not the fingers. Continue absorbing the flour until enough of the flour has been incorporated to result in a smooth, pliable and not too stiff dough. The flour that remains unabsorbed should be passed through a sifter to remove the hard bits of dough and reserved. The total amount of flour to be used will depend upon the humidity in the air. Four cups of flour is more than enough to make the dough and have an ample amount remaining to use later during in the stretching and forming process. Divide the finished dough into 4 pieces and wrap each well with plastic wrap, allow to sit for 15 minutes.
- Attach the pasta machine to a table or counter by tightening the clamp at the bottom . Set the wheel for the rollers at the widest setting. Unwrap one piece of the pasta dough. Turning the handle, pass the dough through the rollers. Fold the piece of dough into thirds and press down. Sprinkle using the remaining flour and repeat the rolling and folding, eight to ten times. By this time the dough should be very smooth; these steps take the place of hand kneading.
- Move the wheel to the next notch, which places the rollers a little closer together. Pass the dough through the rollers once, do not fold. Move the wheel to each successive notch, each time passing the dough through the rollers once. Stop when the layer reaches the desired thickness.
- Lay the finished pasta sheet on a counter lightly dusted with some of the residual flour and allow to rest for about 10 minutes. The pasta sheets are now ready to be cut or used for filled pasta.
- Attach the desired cutting attachment to the pasta machine. Cut the pasta sheets into lengths of about 15" each. Pass the cut pasta sheets through the cutting attachment and lay the finished pasta on either a counter dusted with flour or a flour dusted cotton towel.
- Bring a large pot of cold water to a roaring boil, add a handful of kosher salt to the pot. Bring the water back to a boil and carefully place the pasta into the pot, stir gently. The pasta will cook quickly, generally in about 3 minutes or when it seems to rise to the top of the pasta pot.
- Drain, remove, and add to your favorite sauce.