Fresh egg pasta dough is a staple in Italy. It is surprisingly easy once you get the hang of it. Making fresh pasta is a great way to eat better and save money.
Add the flour in a pile to a work surface. Make a well in the center of the flour. Add the eggs to the center of the flour. Add the salt and olive oil (optional)Begin to beat the flour into the eggs with a fork, pulling the flour in from the sides a little at a time.
400 g pasta flour, 4 whole eggs, 1 pinch fine salt, 2 tsp olive oil
Using a stand mixer? Start with ¾ of the flour recommended and add more flour as needed. It’s better to start with too little flour than too much.
When the dough begins to look shaggy, compress the dough into a loose ball and begin to knead. Knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic. When you push in on the dough, it should spring back.
When the fresh pasta dough is ready, cover and let the dough rest for at least 30 minutes.
Stretch the Pasta
Work with ¼ 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 ¼ 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 a little smaller than the width of your pasta roller. 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 firstPass the 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!