Ingredients Print

Check off ingredients as you go

Serves 5-6

• 4 medium eggs
• 400 g (3¼ cups) sifted all-purpose flour (plain flour)
• 1/2 tsp fine salt (optional)

If you change the number of serving, consider adjusting cooking times!

For fresh pasta that turns out right, the usual rule of thumb is twice as much flour as the weight of the eggs. If you figure a medium egg weighs 50 g, that means 100 g of flour per egg. If you have a kitchen scale, weighing the eggs is ideal so you can add exactly double their weight in flour.

1. Put the eggs in a large bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer). If you have a stand mixer, this step takes almost no effort at all. Lightly beat the eggs, then add the flour, salt and oil. Knead for a few minutes until the dough is smooth and comes together. At first, whichever way you knead (mixer or by hand), it will look like crumbs; that’s completely normal, just keep kneading, it takes a few minutes. Once it looks more cohesive and smooth, finish by hand and shape into a nice ball. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap so it doesn’t dry out and let it rest in the fridge for a few hours or overnight. Resting the dough matters because it helps give the dough good elasticity.

   

2. Take the dough out. If it has spent several hours in the fridge, let it warm up a little, then divide it into several pieces (I divided mine into 4). Now, either you had the good idea of investing in a pasta machine (pasta roller), or you use a rolling pin. On a clean, lightly floured work surface, roll it out into a wide sheet that is really thin; you should be able to see through it, so don’t hesitate to turn it as you go. The dough should no longer stick at all; if it does, add more flour. With the pasta machine, I go all the way to setting 6.

3. Once it’s nice and thin, roll it up from the short side!

   

4. Then cut! Here I made tagliatelle, but you can make cannelloni, lasagna sheets… This is also the stage where you can freeze it!

5. To use them right away, you only need to cook them for barely a few minutes; if you’ve just made them, it’s very, very quick! If you’ve frozen them, the cooking time will be closer to 8 minutes. The best thing is to taste as you go, because it would be a shame to overcook them.

Tips and variations

• As mentioned, the cut pasta can be frozen. If you’re making lasagna, separate each sheet with parchment paper.
• This pasta is fresh and made with raw eggs, so eat it quickly if you’re not freezing it.