Fresh Egg Pasta

Making pasta is not hard, in fact it is so simple that I think I'm doing it wrong (if I am then don't hesitiate to correct me!). The most labour intensive part is rolling it through the pasta machine.

Here's what you will need:

500g 00 flour (if they don't sell this in your local supermarket then go to a deli and they should)
3 whole eggs and 2 egg yolks at room temperature
pinch of salt
bowl of water

What to do:

Clean off your work surface and pile your flour onto it. Make a well in the middle and put in your salt and eggs. With your hands break up the egg yolks and mix into the flour until you have a rough dough.

Keep a bowl of water next to you so that you can wet your hands then kneed the dough if it is too stiff. This is better than adding water to the dough directly as the last thing you want is to add too much.

Kneed the dough for about 10 mins until you have a springy but firm dough. The dough doesn't need to be too smooth. In fact it is better for it not to be too smooth at this stage because if it is overworked the strands of gluten in the dough will break and the pasta will lose it's elasticity.

Split the dough into two balls and wrap each ball in a damp cloth. Let the pasta relax for at least an hour at room temperature.

Rolling the Pasta

When your dough has rested uncover your first ball and with a rolling pin, roll it out unit it is about 1cm thick.

Making sure that the pasta machine is on the thickest setting feed the past through. Turn the handle with one hand and support the pasta coming through with the other. Move up a setting and repeat this process. Continue three or four more times.

Fold the piece of pasta in half and repeat this whole process again.

Next you need to cut this piece of pasta in half and lay one half under a damp cloth and fold the other strip into three ( like a leaflet) and feed it through the machine again this time widthways rather than lengthways. This is supposed to improve elasticity. Repeat taking the machine down a coulple of settings each time.
Fold over again and repeat again until you have a length of pasta that is about 1 ½ cm thick. Now your pasta is ready to use.

It goes without saying that you need to do the same with the other piece of rolled pasta and start from the beginning with your other ball. It is hard work but worth it if you are going to make a filled pasta.