400gwhite pasta flouralternatives: all-purpose or '00'
400gsemolina flourfine grain, preferably for pasta
8eggswhole large
Instructions
Make the Pasta
Combine the flours. (Alternatively, you can replace the semolina flour with the white flour).Add the whole eggs and ¾ of the combined flour to a stand mixer bowl fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix the eggs and flour together on low-medium speed (with the paddle attachment) until the dough is shaggy.
When the dough begins to look shaggy, replace the paddle attachment with the dough hook.If needed, push the dough down from the sides of the stand mixer towards the center of the bowl. This will help the dough hook to better knead all of the dough.On low speed, knead the dough until it is firm, smooth and elastic—5-8 minutes. The final dough should not stick to your hands.Add the rest of the flour as needed to ensure a dough that is not sticky—that is firm, smooth and elastic to the touch.
The dough is finished when it's ball-like, firm, smooth and a elastic. When you push in on the dough with your finger, it should spring back. It's ok if you can still see an indent where your finger pressed, however you should see that the dough did noticeably retract.
When the fresh pasta dough is ready, cover it with cling film and let the dough rest for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
Stretch the Pasta
Work with one portion of the dough at a time. If you've made pasta dough for 8 (with 8 eggs), work with ⅛ of the dough at a time.Keep those pieces you aren't working on covered or wrapped in plastic. This will prevent the pasta from drying out.
Place ⅛ of the dough on a well-floured surface. Flour both sides of the dough. Roll or press the dough into a ¼ inch (½ cm) thick rectangle.
Pass the floured rectangle through a pasta roller, starting at the widest setting. Feed dough into machine short-side first. Then, place the dough lengthwise on the floured work surface. Fold the dough as you would a letter, starting with one side. Roll out the dough again till it is ¼ in (½ cm) thick.
The short side of folded dough rectangle should be about ¾ the width of your pasta roller (no more). Then, pass the pasta through the roller again.Reduce the width of the pasta roller one setting. Pass the pasta through the roller again. Always feed the pasta in short-side first
Continue passing the sheet of pasta through the roller, each time reducing the roller width one setting until the resulting pasta is the thickness required for the pasta you are making!
Notes
Make Large Batches of DoughNot only is it more efficient to make a large batch of pasta dough, the stand mixer will do a better job of mixing a large batch of dough. If you prepare a small amount of dough, you will need to periodically stop the machine and push the dough down from the sides towards the center of the bowl so that the paddle or dough hook attachments can reach all of the dough. Dough Sticking to the Sides? Not Mixing?If your paddle attachment or dough hook is struggling to reach the ingredients, periodically stop the machine and push the dough down from the sides with a spatula towards the center of the bowl so that the paddle or dough hook attachments can reach all of the dough. How to Freeze Excess Pasta DoughPasta dough freezes wonderfully! Push the unused dough into a flat disk. Then put it into the freezer in a freezer-safe ziplock bag. By freezing the dough as a disk, the pasta dough will thaw more quickly than a ball would. Dough Still Too Soft/Sticky When Stretching?To solve this problem, simply sprinkle extra flour on the dough before passing it through the pasta roller. Dough Too Dry When Stretching?Add a drop or two of water or olive oil and knead that into the dough.