Fresh Pasta Food

FRESH PASTA

Steps:

• Heap the flour, and make a well in it. Break the eggs into the well. Beat eggs with a fork. Stir into the flour from the bottom of the well with the fork until the dough in the center is smooth or shiny.
• With your hands, gradually incorporate the flour from the outside of the well toward the center, kneading gently until the mass of dough comes together. Knead the dough until it is smooth and resilient. You may need to add more flour, or you may not be able to incorporate all of the flour, depending on the humidity and the size of the eggs. If the dough is sticky or extremely pliable, knead more flour into it.
• Divide the dough into three portions, cover with plastic wrap or an overturned bowl, and allow to rest for at least 30 minutes.
• Roll the dough out very thin on a lightly floured surface, one portion at a time. If you have a pasta machine, follow the manufacturer's instructions for rolling out the dough into sheets about 1 millimeter thick. Use as desired.

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.

FRESH PASTA

Steps:

• Put the flour in a food processor with ¾ of your egg mixture and a pinch of salt. Blitz to large crumbs - they should come together to form a dough when squeezed (if it feels a little dry gradually add a bit more egg). Tip the dough onto a lightly floured surface, knead for 1 min or until nice and smooth - don't worry if it's quite firm as it will soften when it rests. Cover with cling film and leave to rest for 30 mins.
• Cut away ¼ of the dough (keep the rest covered with cling film) and feed it through the widest setting on your pasta machine. (If you don't have a machine, use a heavy rolling pin to roll the dough as thinly as possible.) Then fold into three, give the dough a quarter turn and feed through the pasta machine again. Repeat this process once more then continue to pass the dough through the machine, progressively narrowing the rollers, one notch at a time, until you have a smooth sheet of pasta. On the narrowest setting, feed the sheet through twice.
• Cut as required to use for filled pastas like tortellini, or cut into lengths to make spaghetti, linguine, tagliatelle, or pappardelle. Then, dust in semolina flour and set aside, or hang until dry (an hour will be enough time.) Store in a sealed container in the fridge and use within a couple of days, or freeze for 1 month.

FRESH PASTA DOUGH (FOOD PROCESSOR)

Steps:

• Combine flour, eggs, olive oil, salt and pepper in the b owl of a food processor. Whirl in short bursts until dough comes together, about 15 seconds.
• If dough appears too dry, add a few drops cold water. If too wet, add flour.
• Turn out onto a wooden board and gently knead together until smooth and elastic. Rub with oil and wrap in plastic. Set aside on counter surface to rest for at least 30 minutes. Dough can be chilled overnight and rolled out just before you wish to cook and serve.
• To roll out, follow manufacturer's directions from pasta machine.
• To cook, toss pasta into 4 quarts of boiling salted water. Stir once or twice and boil uncovered until al dente. Cooking times will vary depending on the size of the pasta but will require less time than dried pasta. Drain and return to pan. Immediately serve or toss with sauce.

FRESH PASTA

Steps:

• To make the dough by hand, mound flour in the center of a work surface, and make a well in the middle. Crack eggs into the well.
• Beat eggs with a fork until smooth, then begin to work flour into eggs with the fork.
• Use a bench scraper to work in the rest of the flour, a bit at a time.
• Once all the flour has been incorporated, start working the dough with your hands to form a rounded mass for kneading. Be sure your work surface is clean of all loose bits of dough; lightly dust with flour. Knead dough until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes.
• Cover dough with an inverted bowl or plastic wrap; allow to rest 1 1/2 hours, or chill overnight.
• To roll using a machine: Divide dough into 4 pieces. Quickly knead and flatten a portion of dough into a disc shape somewhat narrower than the machine opening; very lightly dust the dough with flour. Feed through at your machine's widest setting. (If pasta pulls or tears when passing through machine, simply sprinkle a little more flour over the dough, just before it's fed, to keep it from sticking. When finished, remove excess flour with a dry brush.) As the pasta sheet emerges, gently support it with your palm and guide it onto the work surface. Fold the sheet lengthwise into thirds. Repeat sequence twice with the same setting to smooth the dough and increase its elasticity. Then thin the dough by passing it through ever finer settings, one pass on each setting from widest to narrowest (machine settings differ -- some have as many as 10, others only 6). For ribbon pasta, roll remaining three portions of dough as soon as the first is finished. For filled pasta, it's best to roll and cut a single portion at a time, otherwise the dough will dry out.
• To roll by hand: Lightly flour a clean work surface. With a rolling pin, vigorously roll dough to a very thin circle; apply even pressure. As it stretches, roll constantly. Do not bear down, or it will tear. Roll for several minutes, until dough is as thin as possible, almost translucent. If it shrinks back as you roll, cover with a towel, and let rest 10 minutes before you resume rolling.
• To cut by hand: Lightly fold sheets one at a time into thirds. Cut with a sharp knife to desired thickness.

FRESH PASTA

Steps:

• Food processor- In a food processor, add the flour, eggs and salt. Process until it resembles bread crumbs. Pour onto a floured surface and knead the dough for around ten minutes or until smooth and elastic. Wrap in cling film and leave to rest for at least half an hour.
• Kitchen Aid- This is my favourite way of making pasta dough as it's by far the easiest. Attach the dough kneading tool to your Kitchen Aid and add the flour, eggs and salt to your bowl. Turn the machine on to level four and knead. If it isn't coming together, slowly add a drizzle of olive oil until it comes together. Let it knead for a further five minutes. Remove from the bowl and knead the dough on a floured surface for a few minutes to test the dough, kneading until smooth and elastic. Wrap in cling film and leave to rest for at least half an hour.
• By hand- This is the trickiest, longest and messiest but most authentic way to make pasta dough. Pour your flour and salt onto a flat surface or in bowl, whichever way you prefer, and create a well in the centre. Crack the eggs into the well and whisk with a fork until smooth. Incorporate a little bit of the flour at a time whilst whisking the eggs until it becomes too thick. At this point, begin to use your fingers. Bring it all together until you have a large ball of dough, add a little olive to your hands if it is not coming together. Once it has come together, knead for ten minutes on a floured surface until smooth an elastic. Wrap in cling film and leave to rest for at least half an hour.
• Pasta Machine- Clamp your machine to a clean work surface, I like to use my dining table for this as it's long and has a lot of space for the pasta sheets. Dust your work surface with flour (Tipo 00), take a lump of pasta dough the size of an apple and press it out flat with your palm. Set the pasta machine at its widest setting and slowly roll the lump of pasta dough through it. Fold this into quarters, pressing firmly, and go through the machine again on the same setting. Repeat this once more. Lightly dust the pasta with flour if it sticks at all. Now work the sheet through all the settings on the machine, from the widest down to around the narrowest. Lightly dust both sides of the pasta with a little flour every time you run it through. I usually stop at level two. If you're just learning, lay a damp tea towel over the pasta sheets until you're ready to shape.
• By Hand- When it comes to rolling, the main problem you'll have is getting the pasta thin enough to work with. The trick here is to roll lots of smaller pieces at a time, aiming to get the dough as thin as a playing card but not so thin that you can see through it (unless you're making ravioli). It is important to ensure each piece is even in thickness.
• Shaping- A simple shape if you're just starting out is parpadelle or tagliatelle. To do create this rustic shape, ensure your pasta sheets are dusted with flour before rolling it up like rolling a yoga mat. When it is in a tube shape, use a sharp knife to cut your desired width (wider for parpadelle, more narrow for tagliatelle) ensuring each piece is even. When you unroll the sheet, you should have strips of pasta! Coat these in flour, jiggling them in your hands to separate them.

BASIC FRESH PASTA DOUGH

Steps:

• Mound the flour in the center of a large, wide mixing bowl. Dig a well in the center of the mound and add eggs and yolks. Using a fork, beat together the eggs and begin to incorporate the flour, starting with the inner rim of the well. The dough will start to come together in a shaggy mass when about half of the flour is incorporated.
• Use your fingers to continue to mix the dough. Press any loose bits of flour into the mass of dough. If needed, add another egg yolk or a tablespoon of water to absorb all of the flour. Once the dough comes together into a cohesive mass, remove it from the bowl.
• Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead by hand for 4 to 5 more minutes until the dough is smooth, elastic and uniform in color. Wrap the dough in plastic and set aside for at least 30 minutes (and up to 4 hours) at room temperature.
• Line three baking sheets with parchment paper and lightly dust with semolina flour. Set aside.
• Cut off a quarter of the dough. Rewrap rest, and set aside. Use the heel of your hand to flatten the dough into an oval approximately the same width as your pasta machine, about six inches. Set the rollers to their widest setting and pass the dough through.
• Lay the dough out onto a lightly floured cutting board or countertop and neatly press together into halves, so it's again about the same width of the pasta machine. Feed the pasta through again at the widest setting. Think of these first rollings as an extended kneading. Continue to fold the dough in thirds and roll it until it is smooth, silky and even-textured. Do your best to make the sheet the full width of the machine.
• Once the dough is silky and smooth, you can begin to roll it out more thinly. Roll it once through each of the next two or three settings, adding flour as needed, until the dough is about 1/4-inch thick.
• Once the pasta is about 1/4-inch thick, begin rolling it twice through each setting. As you roll, lightly sprinkle all-purpose or 00 flour on both sides of the pasta to prevent it from sticking to itself.
• Roll out pasta until you can just see the outline of your hand when you hold it under a sheet, about 1/16-inch thick for noodles, or 1/32-inch thick for a filled pasta. (On most machines, you won't make it to the thinnest setting.)
• Cut pasta into sheets, about 12 to 14 inches long. Dust the sheets lightly with semolina flour and stack on one of the prepared baking sheets and cover with a clean, lightly dampened kitchen towel. Repeat with remaining dough.

FRESH PASTA

Steps:

• Place the flour in the bowl of a food processor. In a small bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Add the salt and olive oil to the eggs and stir to combine. Add the egg mixture to the food processor with the flour and pulse to combine the ingredients, scraping down the sides once or twice. Continue, with the machine running, until the liquid is evenly distributed, about 1 minute. The dough should stick together if pinched between your fingers and be cornmeal yellow in color. Some of the dough will be clumping together, but it will not form a ball.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Gather the dough into a ball and knead gently until the dough is smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes before rolling and shaping as desired.