Fresh Homemade Egg Pasta Dough Food

BASIC RECIPE FOR FRESH EGG PASTA DOUGH

Steps:

• Place the flour on a board or in a bowl. Make a well in the centre and crack the eggs into it.
• Using a fork, beat the eggs until smooth. Mix together with the flour as much as possible so it's not too sticky.
• Flour each hand and begin to knead. This is the bit where you can let all your emotions out, so go for it! What you want to end up with is a nice piece of smooth, silky, elastic dough.
• Cover it with clingfilm and leave it to rest for about half an hour in the fridge before rolling and shaping it.

BASIC DOUGH FOR FRESH EGG PASTA

Steps:

• Put flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Add eggs and yolks, and mix with hands or wooden spoon for a minute or so, until dough comes together. (Alternatively, use a stand mixer with a paddle attachment.) If dough seems dry or crumbly, add 1 or 2 tablespoons cold water, but only enough to keep the dough together.
• Turn dough out onto a board and knead to form a ball. Flatten dough ball to a 1-inch-thick disk, wrap in plastic, and let rest at room temperature for at least 1 hour (several hours is fine).
• Divide dough into 4 pieces. Knead each piece until smooth. Roll with a rolling pin or pasta machine as thinly as possible (but not quite paper-thin). Cut each sheet in half, making 8 smaller sheets. Dust dough sheets lightly with semolina to keep them from sticking. Stack 2 or 3 sheets, roll loosely, then cut into 1/2-inch-wide noodles or other desired shape. Continue until all dough is used. Gently fluff noodles and spread on a semolina-dusted baking sheet. Refrigerate, uncovered, until ready to cook.

FRESH HOMEMADE EGG PASTA DOUGH

Steps:

• To mix the pasta dough recipe in the food processor. Put 2 cups "00" flour, the 1 tablespoon semolina, salt, and nutmeg into the work bowl and pulse briefly to combine. Break the eggs into the work bowl, drizzle in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, and process the mixture until it forms crumbs the size of small curds. Stop the machine and pinch together a bit of the mixture between your fingertips and roll it around. It should form a soft ball. If the mixture seems dry, drizzle in another tablespoon of oil and pulse briefly. If it seems too wet and sticky, add additional flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, and pulse briefly. Turn the mixture out onto a clean work surface sprinkled lightly with semolina flour and press it together with your hands to form a rough ball.To make the pasta dough recipe by hand. Combine 2 1/4 cups "00" flour, the 1 tablespoon semolina flour, salt, and nutmeg on a clean work surface and pile into a mound. Make a well in the center of the mound, and break the eggs into it. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of the olive oil into the well. With a fork, break the egg yolks and whisk together the eggs and oil. Using the fork, gradually incorporate just enough of the flour from the inside wall of the well into the egg mixture to create a batter-like consistency. Work carefully so that you don't break the wall of flour, causing the egg mixture to run out and cause a mess. (Although if this happens, don't panic. Just use your palms to scoop up the egg mixture and work it back into the flour.) Now, use your hands to draw the remaining wall of flour over the thickened egg mixture and gently knead it just until it is incorporated.☞TESTER TIP: For the food processor method, always start with the smaller amount of flour listed in the recipe. If it's too sticky, you can always work in more flour as you knead. For the hand method, use the larger amount of flour and mound it onto your work surface, but only work in as much as you need to achieve the proper consistency.
• Using the palm of your hand, push the egg pasta dough gently but firmly away from you, and then fold it over toward you. Rotate the it a quarter turn, and repeat the pushing and folding motion. Continue kneading in this fashion, using a scraper to dislodge any dough stuck to the work surface. It will begin as a shaggy mass but will eventually turn smooth as you knead it over several minutes. You may not use all of the flour on the work surface.
• When the dough is smooth and silky, form it into a ball and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. Let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
• Before you roll and shape the pasta, keep in mind that how thin you roll the pasta will depend on what you're making, so be sure to carefully read your desired recipe. Most recipes, including those for ravioli and lasagne, call for stretching the pasta dough very thin-about 1/16 inch. Passing the dough through the second-narrowest roller setting (#6) produces a very thin pasta sheet. We usually don't go past that setting when making ravioli, although if making noodles, you might prefer to use roller setting #5 or even #4 for a more satisfying bite to your pasta.
• Set up your pasta machine with the rollers on the widest setting (#1 on a standard Marcato Atlas machine). Scatter a little semolina flour on the work surface around the machine and have more on hand for sprinkling the dough.
• Divide the pasta dough into 4 equal pieces. Rewrap 3 pieces and set them aside. Knead the fourth piece briefly on the work surface.
• Then, using a rolling pin or patting it with the heel of your hand, form it into an oval 3 to 4 in long and about 3 inches wide. Feed the dough through the rollers of the pasta machine, then lay the strip on your work surface. Fold the dough into thirds, as if you were folding a letter, sprinkle with a little semolina, and pass it through the rollers again. Repeat the folding and rolling process a few more times, until the strip of dough is smooth.
• Move the roller setting to the next narrower notch and feed the strip of dough through the setting twice, sprinkling it with a little semolina each time to keep it from sticking. Move the notch to the next setting. Continue to pass the pasta dough through the rollers, twice on each setting, until you have stretched it to the appropriate thickness.
• Once you've stretched the pasta dough (it will be a fairly long ribbon, depending on how thin you've stretched it), lay it out on a semolina-dusted surface (my mother would sprinkle an old tablecloth with semolina, but a clean dish towel works well), and cover it lightly with plastic wrap while you stretch the remaining 3 pieces in the same fashion.
• After rolling the pasta dough cut it into the shape you desire by hand or with a machine. (Editors' Note: We've got some terrific tips on cutting pasta by hand.) If making noodles, such as tagliatelle, linguini, spaghetti, etc., place a wire cooling rack on a rimmed baking sheet. Toss the cut pasta with a considerable amount of semolina flour (don't worry about using too much flour, as it'll fall off in the boiling water), and arrange the noodles on top of the rack in small piles. Use the pasta within the hour.

FRESH PASTA

Steps:

• Place the cake flour, all-purpose flour, egg yolks and salt in a food processor. Pulse to combine. With the machine running, gradually add the oil then 1/3 to 1/2 cup water until the mixture forms a dough (the dough should stick together if pinched between your fingers). If necessary, add additional water, 1 teaspoon at a time if the dough is too dry.
• Place the dough on a lightly floured surface. Gather the dough into a ball and knead until the dough is smooth, 5 to 8 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Cut the dough into quarters and press flat. Run each piece of pasta dough several times through a pasta-rolling machine, adjusting the setting each time, until the pasta is about 1/8 to 1/16-inch thick. Cut the pasta into the desired shape and use as needed.

BASIC PASTA DOUGH (NO EGG)

Steps:

• Put flour in large mixing bowl, making a well in the center.
• Add wet ingredients to well and very slowly mix together with a fork, incorporating only a little flour at a time so it mixes smoothly and evenly. Trust me, the more patient you are with this the better it will turn out.
• Continue kneading by hand for about 10 minutes, let rest for a half hour covered with a towel. Repeat a couple times until dough is smooth and silky, and just slightly sticky.
• Shape by hand or with a machine.
• Note: Boiling fresh pasta takes significantly less time than dry pasta. Depending on the shape, cook for 30 seconds to 2 minutes.

FRESH SEMOLINA AND EGG PASTA

Steps:

• Thoroughly sift together all-purpose flour, semolina flour, and pinch of salt.
• On a clean surface, make a mountain out of flour mixture then make a deep well in center.
• Break the eggs into the well and add olive oil.
• Whisk eggs very gently with a fork, gradually incorporating flour from the sides of the well.
• When mixture becomes too thick to mix with a fork, begin kneading with your hands.
• Knead dough for 8 to 12 minutes, until it is smooth and supple.
• Dust dough and work surface with semolina as needed to keep dough from becoming sticky.
• Wrap dough tightly in plastic and allow it to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
• Roll out dough with a pasta machine or a rolling pin to desired thickness.
• Cut into your favorite style of noodle or stuff with your favorite filling to make ravioli.
• Bring water to a boil in a large pot, then add 4 teaspoons salt.
• Cook pasta until tender but not mushy, 1 to 8 minutes depending on thickness.
• Drain immediately and toss with your favorite sauce.

FRESH PASTA

Steps:

• Beat together the eggs, yolk and olive oil with a fork in a large spouted measuring cup.
• Combine the flour and a large pinch of kosher salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse briefly to combine. With the food processor motor running, gradually pour the egg mixture through the feed tube and let it run until the dough forms a ball around the blade. (If the dough is too sticky to form a ball, add a tablespoon or so of flour and process again. If it is too crumbly to form a ball, add cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and process again.) Once the dough forms a ball, process until smooth and springy, 20 to 30 seconds.
• Transfer the dough to a floured work surface and knead several times, until the dough comes together in a smooth ball.
• Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. (The dough can be made 1 day ahead, wrapped and refrigerated. Let it come to room temperature before rolling.)
• Anchor a pasta machine to your countertop or secure the pasta attachment to a stand mixer. Set the machine to the widest setting. Unwrap the dough and cut it into 4 equal pieces. Wrap 3 of the pieces while you work with the fourth.
• Flatten the dough into a rectangle and lightly dust with flour. Roll it through the pasta machine at the widest setting. Fold the dough in thirds like a letter and feed it through the pasta machine. Repeat the folding and feeding of the dough through the machine 2 more times. (Rolling and folding in this manner will help strengthen and smooth the dough.)
• Set the pasta machine to the next setting (one setting thinner than the widest). Flour the dough as necessary and feed it through the machine. Repeat, feeding it through one more time.
• Adjust the machine to the next thinnest setting and feed the dough through 2 times as above. Continue changing the setting and feeding the dough through 2 times for each setting until you have fed the dough through the second-to-last setting. The dough should be thin enough so that you can see your hand through it.
• If you are cutting your pasta into noodles: Stop rolling the dough through after you have gone through the second-to-last setting.
• If you are making filled pasta, like ravioli: Change the machine to the final setting and feed the dough through.
• Cut the dough in half crosswise and cover it with plastic wrap. Repeat the folding, rolling and cutting process with the 3 remaining pieces of dough. Cover each piece of dough as you finish. You should have 8 pieces of dough total.
• If you are cutting your pasta into noodles: Affix the cutting attachment to the pasta machine. Choose the desired setting and feed the dough through. Lightly toss the noodles with a little flour on a baking sheet to prevent sticking and cover with a dry kitchen towel while you process the rest of the dough. Cook the noodles in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, 3 to 4 minutes.
• If you are making filled pasta: Proceed according to your recipe's instructions.