Homemade Pasta
Ingredients:
250 grams all purpose flour (keep some more flour for dusting)
One pinch kosher salt
Two large eggs
Six large egg yolks
One tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Method:
On a clean and sturdy surface, dump the flour and salt. Create a hole in between using your hands. In a bowl, take eggs, yolk, and olive oil. Whisk all the ingredients until nicely combined. Now pour the mixture into the hole, and gradually whisk the egg mix and flour using a fork. Slowly incorporate more and more flour into the eggs, by moving your fork along the edges of the well. Once all of the flour is incorporated, start bringing the dough together with your hands. (The dough should be malleable, but not sticky – add more flour if the dough is sticking too much to your hands or the surface. Alternatively, if it’s too dry and tough, whisk another egg with one tablespoon of water and use your hand to sprinkle some of it over the dough. Continue to do so until the dough is easier to knead).
Knead the dough for seven to 10 minutes, until it is smooth and elastic. When you poke the dough, it should spring back. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest at room temperature for about 30 minutes to an hour – until the dough springs back when poked. Unwrap the dough and cut it into eight equal pieces, so that it’s easier to work. Take one piece and wrap the rest in plastic so that it doesn’t dry out. Lightly flour your work surface, and begin rolling out the piece of dough into one long piece. Then, fold the top third down, and the bottom third over that, like a letter. Rotate the dough 90 degrees and roll the piece back into a long shape. This helps form a more even rectangular shape and makes the dough a little bit easier to work with. Continue rolling out the dough until it is very thin. When you lift the dough, you should be able to see your hands through it.
Fold the top and bottom of the rectangle to meet in the middle, then fold over again – this will make the dough easier to cut. Cut the dough to your ideal shape. Loosen the cut dough immediately so that it doesn’t stick. Sprinkle a bit of extra flour or semolina. Let the pasta sit for about 30 minutes so that it dries out slightly. Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and stir to ensure it doesn’t clump. Cook for two-three minutes, or 30 seconds to one minute after the pasta comes to the surface (fresh pasta will cook much faster than dried pasta). Take out a noodle and taste for doneness. Once cooked to your liking, remove the pasta from the water, make sure to save at least one cup (240 ml) of the pasta cooking water. Add the cooked pasta into your preferred sauce and stir to coat. Add some of the reserved pasta water to give silkiness to the sauce.
