fresh pasta
pasta fresca
Makes about 1 pound
Ingredients
- 2¾ cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 3 large eggs
- ¼ cup water
- Salt
- 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
For the Pasta Dough: Mound flour in a large mixing bowl; create a well in the center and add eggs, water and pinch salt. Using a fork, gently break eggs and slowly incorporate flour from the inside rim of the well. When the liquid is absorbed, knead the dough in the bowl until it forms a complete mass.
Transfer dough to a lightly floured board and knead for 8 minutes more. Drizzle oil over the top, knead for 1 minute to incorporate, then wrap tightly in plastic, and let rest for 45 minutes at room temperature or up to 3 hours in the refrigerator, before rolling as desired.
Cut pasta dough into 8 pieces. Wrap pieces tightly with plastic wrap to keep from drying out. Set pasta machine to widest setting. Flatten 1 dough piece into rectangle. Run dough piece through machine. Fold in half crosswise (end to end) and run through again. Continue to run through machine, turning machine to narrower settings after 2 passes and dusting with flour as needed to keep from sticking, until pasta sheet is scant 1/16 inch thick (about last setting). Place pasta sheet on lightly floured work surface; cover with plastic to keep from drying. Repeat with remaining pasta pieces, then cut into desired shape or noodle.
For Green Pasta Dough: Use 1½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour, 1 large egg, 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil and either 5 ounces packaged frozen leaf spinach, thawed, or 1 small bunch fresh spinach. If using thawed frozen spinach, cook it in a covered pan with pinch salt until tender, about 5 minutes. If using fresh spinach, rinse (do not dry) and cook in a large skillet with pinch salt, stirring, until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain spinach of all liquid, cool, then squeeze tightly with hands to press out all remaining liquid. Finely chop. Add spinach to eggs in well of flour, as described in first step of fresh pasta; lightly beat spinach and egg together, then proceed as directed.
