How to Make Fresh Pasta Dough, in Pictures
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It's hard to believe that fresh pasta dough is made from such humble ingredients as flour, eggs, and a pinch of salt, but it's true. While the task might seem daunting on the outset, keep reading to get the lay of the land — it's easier than it seems — and then dig into a bowl of your favorite dish.
Sift the Dry Ingredients
Sift the dry ingredients — for eight portions of pasta: 3 1/2 cups type 00 flour and a generous pinch of salt — together onto a clean work surface.
Add the Eggs
Make a well in the mound of flour that's large enough to accommodate four large eggs. Crack the eggs into the well and then begin to incorporate them into the flour with clean fingertips, pulling in the flour bit by bit. Keep at it until the eggs are evenly distributed and a shaggy dough forms.
Knead the Dough
Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface until it's smooth and elastic. If the dough appears very dry and won't come together, add water one tablespoon at a time. If it's too soft, add flour one tablespoon at a time.
Let the Dough Rest
Let the dough rest for at least 15 minutes under a clean dish towel. This allows the moisture from the eggs (and water, if needed) to distribute throughout the doughy mass, making it easier to work with.
Divide the Dough Into Workable Portions
Use a bench scraper to divide the dough into six even portions. Work with one chunk of dough at a time, covering the rest with the dish towel so that they won't dry out.
Prep the Dough For the Pasta Roller
Lightly dust the piece of pasta dough with flour and pat it out into a 1/2-inch thick rectangle.
Roll Out the Dough
Starting on the lowest setting (1 on a KitchenAid pasta roller attachment), pass the dough through the machine. Fold the sheet of dough in half lengthwise, pressing it firmly together, then pass it through on the lowest setting three to four more times, or until the dough is smooth and silky. Continue to pass the dough through the pasta roller, adjusting it one notch at a time (do not fold the dough onto itself) until it reaches the desired thinness. If the sheet of pasta becomes too long and unmanageable to work with, cut it into two smaller portions and roll them out one at a time.
Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough, storing the rolled-out sheets of pasta between clean dish towels.
Cut the Dough Down to Size
Whether the homemade pasta is destined for ravioli, lasagna, or wide ribbons like fettuccine, tagliatelle, or linguini, now is the time to form it into its final shape.
For ravioli, follow these easy instructions. For lasagna, trim the sheets to fit in a casserole dish. For tagliatelle and other ribbon-like strands of pasta, portion it out with a pizza cutter, sharp paring knife, or the fettuccine or linguini attachments on your pasta roller.
A few recipe suggestions: