Fresh pasta
NUMBER OF SERVINGS: 4
INGREDIENTS:
4 large eggs (from free-range chickens)
400 g Type '00' flour
Course of action:
Pour the flour into a bowl and make a deep well in the middle. Crack the eggs into the middle. Beat the eggs together with a fork, and slowly start to pull in a little flour from the sides as you beat.
Use your fingertips to mix the eggs with the flour a little at a time until it is all combined.
Once you have added enough flour, the dough will start to come together and become very soft. Pour the dough out onto your work surface.
To develop gluten in the flour, you must now knead the dough well with your hands.
If you skip this step, you risk the pasta becoming soft and flabby when you cook it, instead of firm and and cook until pasta is. Stop kneading when the dough feels smooth and silky.
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
Take it out and let it come to room temperature before rolling it out.
Generously sprinkle your work surface with some Tipo '00' flour and place the dough ball on top.
You can now choose to roll out the pasta with a pasta machine or with a rolling pin.
If you are using a pasta machine, set it to the widest setting (which is usually “1”).
Divide the dough into four equal pieces. Sprinkle with a little flour and cover them with a clean tea towel.
Roll the first ball of dough through the machine. Sprinkle lightly with flour if it is sticky.
Set the machine to a narrower setting and roll again. Fold the dough together, set the machine back to the widest setting, and roll through again. Repeat this process 4–5 times.
Then run the dough through all of the machine's settings – from widest to next-narrowest.
Lightly sprinkle both sides of the pasta with flour each time you roll it out.
Roll the pasta as thin as you like. For linguine and fettuccine I usually roll to setting 6 or 7; for stuffed pasta I go 1–2 steps thinner.
Repeat the process with the remaining three dough balls.
If you want to cook the pasta right away, bring a large pot of water to the boil, salt the water well, and cook the pasta for 4–5 minutes, until al dente. and cook until pasta is.
