Mains

Basic Egg Pasta Dough


Making homemade pasta is a Saturday well spent. It's surprisingly easy and calming, and if you happen to have a Kitchen Aid mixer at home the pasta attachment makes the whole process of rolling out the dough even easier. Right around the time I launched the Supper Club, I went on a trip to Rome and spent a week making and eating pasta, so I’m sharing the basics straight from the source. First, I use "00" flour which is a finely ground Italian flour used for making pizza & pasta dough. Yes you can use All-Purpose flour but I recommend the Tipo "00" Caputo Flour. Second, invest the ten bucks in a kitchen scale, weighing flours is more precise than measuring cups. Finally, I use brown rice flour for dusting the dough when I’m rolling it out, it's finer and helps prevent the dough from sticking both while making and cooking the pasta.

INGREDIENTS

all units: U.S. Imperial

  • 400 g “00” flour
  • 4 large eggs, at room temperature
  • Rice flour for dusting

Mound the “00” flour on a work surface. Make a well in the center of the flour and add the eggs. Using a fork, beat the eggs gently together. Slowly incorporate the flour, starting with the inner sides of the well. 

When the dough begins to come together, start kneading using just the palms of  your hands with a back and forth motion. Use a dough scraper to scrape away any stray bits around the pasta dough, as dried-out dough will interfere with your pasta making. The dough is ready when it is elastic and the surface gently “comes back to you” when pressed, about 15 to 30 minutes. 

Place the dough in a large bowl and cover with a lid, a cotton cloth, or plastic wrap. Set aside in the coolest part of  your kitchen for 1 hour. (You can also prepare the dough the day before, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate. Before rolling, bring it back to room temperature.) 

When ready to roll out the dough, dust a work surface and rolling pin lightly with rice flour. Cut off a piece of dough (the equivalent of  a handful), press with the palm of  your hand onto the work surface, and roll out with the rolling pin to about ½ inch thick. Set a pasta machine to its thickest setting and roll the pasta dough through it. Switch the pasta machine to the next thinnest setting and roll the pasta dough through again. Continue switching the settings lower and lower until you get a thin and perfectly smooth sheet of  pasta. Repeat with the remaining dough. 

Place the pasta sheet on the floured work surface. Cut and/or stuff the pasta according to your liking. The pasta will be fine at room temperature for up to 30 minutes, but if  you’re cooking later, cover the pasta with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. You can also freeze individual portions for up to three months, making sure they are well wrapped.