Fresh Egg Pasta

Tools

• KitchenAid stand mixer
• Mixer pasta attachment
• Bench knife

Ingredients

• 10 ounces (280g; about 2 cups) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting. I usually replace 5oz with semolina flour
• 2 whole large eggs (110g; about 4 ounces)
• 4 yolks from 4 large eggs (70g; about 2.5 ounces)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for salting water
• Note: You can add black pepper or other dry seasonings

Instructions

1. On a large, clean work surface, pour flour in a mound. Make a well in the center about 4 inches wide. Pour whole eggs, egg yolks, and salt into well and, using a fork, beat thoroughly. When combined, gradually incorporate flour into the eggs until a wet, sticky dough has formed.

2. Using a bench knife, scrape excess dough from fork and fingers. Begin to fold additional flour into the dough with the bench knife, turning the dough roughly 45 degrees each time, until dough feels firm and dry, and can form a craggy-looking ball, 2 to 5 minutes.

3. Press the heel of your hand into the ball of dough, pushing forward and down. Rotate the ball 45 degrees and repeat. Continue until dough develops a smooth, elastic texture similar to a firm ball of Play-Doh. If dough feels too wet, add flour in 1 teaspoon increments. If dough feels too dry, add water slowly.

4. Wrap ball of dough tightly in plastic wrap and rest on countertop for 30 minutes.

5. While dough is resting, place a sheet of parchment paper on a tray or cutting board and dust lightly with flour. Unwrap rested dough and cut into sixths. Set one sixth on work surface and re-wrap remaining dough. With a hand or rolling pin, flatten the sixth of dough into an oblong shape about 1/2 inch thick.

6. Set pasta maker to widest setting (#1) and put through machine.

7. After the first pass fold the dough in half. Repeat 3 or 4 times folding the dough in half or thirds. Don’t be afraid to use flour.

8. Put dough through widest settings as is (no folding) an additional 3 or 4 times. If it starts to feel moist sprinkle flour.

9. Narrow the setting by 1 notch and repeat Step 8. Continue passing the dough through the rollers, reducing the thickness by 1 setting each time until it reaches the desired thickness. It should now be very delicate and elastic to the touch, and slightly translucent.

10. Place rolled dough onto a work surface or baking sheet lightly dusted with flour or lined with parchment paper, folding the dough over as necessary so that it fits; sprinkle with flour or line with parchment between folds to prevent sticking. Make sure to put flour in between the layers.

11. Cover dough with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel to prevent drying, then repeat Steps 5 through 10 with remaining dough quarters. If making noodles, cut dough into 12- to 14-inch segments.

12. Adjust pasta machine to noodle setting of your choice. Working one dough segment at a time, feed dough through the pasta-cutter. Alternatively, cut folded dough by hand with a chef’s knife to desired noodle width.

13. Divide the cut noodles into individual portions, dust lightly with flour, and curl into a nest. Place on parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet and gently cover with kitchen towel until ready to cook. Pasta can be frozen directly on the baking sheet, transferred to a zipper-lock freezer bag, and stored in the freezer for up to three weeks before cooking. Cook frozen pasta directly from the freezer.

14. Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add pasta, stir gently with a wooden spoon, chopsticks, or a cooking fork, and cook, tasting at regular intervals until noodles are just set with a definite bite, about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Drain, toss with sauce, and serve.