Pappardelle Egg Pasta Dough Food

CHEF ANNE'S PAPPARDELLE

Steps:

• Place the flour on a clean, dry work surface. Make a hole (this is also called a well) in the center of the flour pile that is about 8 inches wide (bigger is definitely better here). Crack all of the eggs and the yolk into the hole and add the olive oil, salt and 1 to 2 tablespoons water.
• Using a fork, beat the eggs together with the olive oil, water (or more if needed) and salt. Using the fork, begin to incorporate the flour into the egg mixture, be careful not to break the sides of the well or the egg mixture will run all over your board and you will have a big mess! Also, don't worry about the lumps. When enough flour has incorporated into the egg mixture that it will not run all over the place when the sides of the well are broken, begin to use your hands to really get everything well combined. If the mixture is tight and dry, wet your hands and begin kneading with wet hands. When the mixture has really come together to a homogeneous mixture, THEN you can start kneading.
• When kneading it is VERY important to put your body weight into it, get on top of the dough to really stretch it and not to tear the dough. Using the heels of your palms, roll the dough to create a very smooooooth, supple dough. When done, the dough should look VERY smooth and feel almost velvety. Kneading will usually take from 8 to 10 minutes for an experienced kneader and 10 to 15 for an inexperienced kneader. Put your body weight into it, you need to knead! This is where the perfect, toothsome texture of your pasta is formed. Get in there and have fun!
• When the pasta has been kneaded to the perfect consistency, wrap it in plastic and let rest for at least 1 hour. If using immediately, do not refrigerate.
• To roll the pasta: Cut off 1/3 of the pasta dough, reserve the rest and keep it covered.
• Squash the pasta with the heels of your hands to facilitate it going through the pasta roller. Dust with flour. Put the pasta through the roller set on number one. Roll the dough through 2 times, dusting it with flour if it feels sticky or tacky.
• Fold the pasta into thirds and put it through the machine on number one again.
• Change the setting on the pasta roller to number two and run the pasta through. Continue to roll the pasta through the machine, changing the setting each time to a larger number (this will make the opening on the pasta machine smaller). When you get to the desired thin-ness (I recommend number six), cut the pasta into 10-inch lengths. Flour the dough generously and stack them in a pile. Cover the stack with plastic or a clean tea towel and proceed rolling the rest of the pasta.
• When the pasta is all rolled, take 3 sheets of pasta and fold both ends of the pasta over each other until they meet in the middle.
• Using a sharp knife, cut the pasta rolls into 1-inch widths. Unroll the pasta "ribbons" and dust with semolina and reserve on sheet trays.
• When ready to use, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain.

THE BEST PASTA DOUGH FOR KITCHENAID MIXER

Steps:

• Add the eggs in the bowl. Using the flat beater, beat the eggs. Switch to the dough hook and throw in the flour, olive oil and salt. Beat for about 3-4 minutes, or until the dough indents when you touch it. If the dough feels too sticky, add flour. If it feels too dry, add water.
• Put the dough in Tupperware or a bowl with cling wrap. Let is rest for at least 1 hour.
• Attach the pasta roller attachment on the kitchen aid mixer. Grab some of the dough and roll into a ball the size of a ping pong ball (this is to know how much you should be using). Keep the rest of the dough in the Tupperware/cling wrap. Flatten the dough with your hand on a floured surface. Turn the pasta attachment on and feed the dough through the pasta roller set to #1. Fold the pasta in half and feed it through the machine again. Set to #2 and feed it through. Pat the dough with flour on both sides and feed through 2 again. Feed through 3, and finally through 4. Switch the pasta roller attachment to the spaghetti or fettuccini attachment. Just like the roller, feed the flattened dough through the new attachment. You can make nests in the pasta or hang the pasta on a pasta drying tree.
• Bring a pot of water to a boil. When there is a rolling boil, add the pasta and boil for 4-5 minutes, or until al dente.

PAPPARDELLE (EGG PASTA DOUGH)

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the 00 and semolina flours and salt and form a well. Add the egg and yolks to the center of the well. Using a fork, slowly start to incorporate the flour into the eggs to form a rough dough. You may add a splash of water if the dough is too dry or a dusting of flour if it is too wet.
• Lightly flour a smooth work surface and pour the dough onto the flour. Knead the dough until it springs back when you press a finger into it, 10 to 12 minutes. Flatten the dough into an even square. Wrap the dough well in plastic wrap and allow to rest for 1 hour at room temperature.
• Cut the dough into 3 pieces. Set up a pasta roller according to the manufacturer's directions and set it at the widest setting. Dust one section of the dough with semolina flour and press firmly to flatten the dough to 1/4 inch. Roll the dough through the machine on the widest setting. Fold the pasta dough in thirds and dust the outside with flour. Send it through the widest setting again. Reduce the setting to the next setting. Send the dough through the machine. Fold it in thirds once again and send through the setting one more time. Continue sending the dough through the machine, reducing the setting each time, until the desired thickness is reached, about 1/8 inch. Lay the sheet out on the counter and dust with flour. Use a knife or pizza cutter to cut strips 1 inch by 10 inches. Dust the strips with more flour. Continue with the remaining dough.

PAPPARDELLE, TAGLIATELLE, OR OTHER FRESH, HAND-CUT PASTA

Steps:

• Combine 1 1/2 cups of the flour and the salt on a counter or large board. Make a well in the middle. Into this well, break the eggs and yolks. Beat the eggs with a fork, slowly and gradually incorporating a little of the flour at a time. When it becomes too hard to stir with the fork, use your hands. When all the flour has been mixed in, knead the dough, pushing it against the board and folding it repeatedly until it is not at all sticky and is quite stiff. Sprinkle with a little of the reserved flour and clean your hands. Cover the dough with plastic wrap or a cloth and let it rest for about 30 minutes. (You can store the dough in the refrigerator, wrapped in plastic, until you're ready to roll it out, for up to 24 hours.)
• Clamp a pasta machine to the counter; sprinkle your work surface lightly with flour. Cut off about one third of the dough; wrap the rest in plastic or cloth while you work. Roll the dough lightly in the flour and use your hands to flatten it into a rectangle about the width of the machine. Set the machine to its highest (that is, thickest) setting and crank the dough through. If it sticks, dust it with a little more flour. Repeat. Set the machine to its next-thinnest setting and repeat. Each time, if the pasta sticks, sprinkle it with a little more flour and, each time, put the dough through the machine twice.
• Continue to work your way down (or up, as the case may be-each machine is numbered differently) through the numbers. If at any point the dough tears badly, bunch it together and start again (you will quickly get the hang of it). Use as much flour as you need to, but in small amounts each time.
• Pass the dough through the machine's thinnest setting, only once. (If this fails, pass it through the next-thinnest once.) Flour the dough lightly, cover it, and set it aside. Repeat the process with the remaining dough.
• Cut each sheet into rectangles roughly 16 inches long and as wide as the machine: trim the ends to make it neat. Put it through the machine once more, this time using the broadest (tagliatelle) cutter. Or cut by hand into broad strips (pappardelle). Cook right away or hang the strands to dry for up to a couple of hours.
• To cook the noodles, drop them into boiling salted water; they'll be done when tender, in less than 3 (and probably less than 2) minutes. Sauce them immediately and serve.
• Pizzocheri
• The buckwheat noodles of the mountains of northeastern Italy, best sauced as described on page 549: substitute 1 1/2 cups fine buckwheat flour for 1 1/2 cups of the white flour; use white flour for the balance of the dough and all of the rolling and proceed as directed.
• Malfatti
• This translates as "badly cut," and is perfect for soups, many pasta dishes, and the lazy cook: Roll out about a quarter of the dough as thin as possible, using a machine or rolling pin, then simply cut it into random shapes. Cook as you would any other fresh pasta.

FRESH PAPPARDELLE

Steps:

• Whisk together both flours and 1 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Make a well in center; add eggs and 2 tablespoons oil. Using a fork, work flour mixture into wet ingredients, slowly incorporating all flour in bowl to form a sticky dough. Transfer to a lightly floured work surface and knead dough until all bits are incorporated. Continue kneading until very smooth and no longer sticky, adding additional 00 flour as necessary, about 5 minutes. Place an overturned bowl over dough and let stand 1 hour (or wrap in plastic and refrigerate up to overnight; let stand at room temperature 1 hour before using).
• Dust work surface with semolina. Cut dough into 16 pieces. Working with one piece at a time, and keeping the rest covered with plastic wrap, flatten into an oblong shape. Very lightly dust with 00 flour; pass through a pasta machine at its widest setting. Fold in half, rotate 90 degrees, and pass through two more times on same setting to smooth dough and increase elasticity. Adjust machine to next setting and pass pasta dough through twice more, gently supporting it with the palm of your hand as it emerges. Continue to pass through ever-finer settings, once each, ending at second or third to last; dough should be very thin, and you should be able to see the outline of your hand through it, but it should not be translucent. Lay dough flat on an 00 flour-dusted surface, or drape over a pasta rack or backs of chairs, until just tacky, 10 to 15 minutes. Repeat with remaining dough.
• Fold pasta into quarters; cut into 3/4-inch-wide strips. Unfold and drape over rack until almost dry, about 20 minutes. (If not cooking immediately, you can gather several strands and form into a nest shape. Place pasta on a semolina-dusted baking sheet and let dry 24 hours. Store in an airtight container up to 2 weeks.)