Standard Egg Pasta Dough

Ingredients

350 grams (2 1/4 cups) 00 or all-purpose flour

50 grams (5 tablespoons) semola rimacinata or semolina flour

225 grams eggs (about 4 large eggs plus 1 to 2 yolks)

Directions

Making pasta dough in a food processor

Add the flour(s) and liquid(s) to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse the ingredients together in short bursts, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, until evenly distributed and beads of dough form. It'Il look like cooked couscous and should come together easily when pressed. If the mixture is dry and sandy, add a teaspoon of water and pulse again; repeat as needed. If it's sticky and gummy, sprinkle it with flour and pulse until you've reached the proper consistency.

Transfer to a work surface and knead by hand for 5 minutes, or until smooth and firm. If the dough is still rough on the surface, cover it tightly and completely, either in plastic wrap or under an overturned bowl (you can also Use a clean shower cap or snug Tupperware container), for 5 to 10 minutes. Then knead 1 to 2 minutes more and cover it again. Let it rest at room temperature for about 30 minutes to an hour, depending on the pasta you're making (see page 32 for suggested rest times).

SET UP YOUR WORKSPACE Dust a sheet pan with semolina or line it with a dry dishcloth. Gather your tools and set up your pasta machine.

SHEET THE DOUGH Roll a quarter of your pasta dough into a sheet following the directions on page 114.

For tagliolini, roll the dough semi-thin, stopping at setting 4 or 5 for both the Marcato and KitchenAid machines.

For tagliatelle, roll the dough to setting 7 (Marcato) or twice through setting 7 (KitchenAid).

For fettuccine and pappardelle, roll the dough to setting 6 (both machines).

Lay the sheet on your work surface; if using a countertop, dust the bottom with 00 or all-purpose flour. For thicker tagliolini, you can leave the sheet as is or cut it in half; for the thinner ribbons, cut the sheet in half crosswise so you have two even pieces.

DRY THE SHEET (A LITTLE) Let the sheet dry for about 10 minutes per side, or until the surface feels leathery and doesn't stick to your hands, work surface, or itself when folded over and pressed (but is still pliable). In the meantime, roll out another sheet if you have the space.

CUT THE PASTA Dust both sides of the sheet with O0 or all-purpose flour, spreading it around and removing any excess. If making tagliolini, generously sprinkle the top with semolina, too.

Position the pasta sheet horizontally along your work surface. Fold the ends toward the center like an envelope so they meet in the middle. Then continue to fold up each side, carpet-style, once or twice more until they, too, meet in the middle and you have a little packet that looks like flat scrolls.

Rotate the dough 90 degrees, so the center line runs horizontally. Use a knife to trim the ends so you have straight edges, then cut strips across the dough.

For tagliolini, these strips should be about V1/8 inch (2 to 3 mm) wide;

for fettuccine, 1/4 inch (6 mm) wide;

for tagliatelle, 1/4 inch or a touch (6 to 7 mm) wider:

for pappardelle, 1 inch (2.5 cm) wide.

Slide the blade of the knife under the pasta so its spine is directly under the center line and lift--the strands should unfurl like Rapunzel's hair.

Gently shake out the strands to separate them, then lay them across the prepared sheet pan. Dust the pasta with semolina flour and spread the strands out a little if using right away, or form them into nests if storing for future use. Repeat with the remaining dough.

COOK OR STORE THE PASTA Cook the pasta according to the instructions on page 205 until tender but still with some bite, 2 to 3 minutes, depending on the shape, thickness, and drying time. For storage options, see page 206.

Notes

Pasta every day pg 45,30,116,128,205