There's nothing that enhances a meal more than fresh, homemade pasta. This recipe makes wonderful homemade pasta for any type of sauce. Use a pasta machine to make precise, thin sheets that can be cut into noodles in a variety of sizes, or embrace a more rustic feel by hand-rolling your fresh pasta dough. It takes a little more time and energy, but it's every bit as delicious!
Weigh your flour; or measure it by gently spooning it into a cup, then sweeping off any excess. In a food processor, pulse the flour and salt to combine. With the food processor running, add the eggs one at a time, allowing each one to incorporate fully before adding the next. Once the last egg is in, continue processing until the mixture comes together in a large clump with just a few loose bits.
Transfer the dough to a clean work surface. Knead by hand for about 2 minutes to incorporate any loose bits and form a smooth, firm dough. Wrap the dough tightly with plastic or your favorite reusable wrap. Let it rest for at least 30 minutes at room temperature, or up to overnight in the refrigerator. (If the dough is refrigerated, it will need to come to room temperature for at least 30 minutes before moving on to the next step.)
Divide the dough into two pieces (about 220g each). Roll the dough through a pasta machine once on the largest setting. Fold the dough in thirds like a letter (this helps it become a rectangular shape) before rolling it a second time on the largest setting. Adjust the pasta machine to the next increment (one step thinner) and pass the dough through, flouring as necessary. Continue adjusting the setting and rolling the dough through the machine until you’ve reached the last setting.
Cut the sheets of pasta into 12"-long pieces. Dust a sheet lightly with flour, then pass it through the noodle cutter on your pasta machine. Place noodles onto a semolina-dusted baking sheet and toss to coat lightly. (To cut the sheets by hand, lightly coat the top of one sheet with a little semolina flour, then loosely roll it up, cut the rolled-up dough into strips, and unroll.) Once the noodles are cut and coated with semolina flour, coil the pasta into loose mounds (“nests”) and set them aside until you’re ready to boil them. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough.
To cook the fresh pasta, bring 4 quarts salted water to a boil. Drop the pasta into the boiling water, stir, then boil gently for 3 to 4 minutes.
Drain the noodles and serve immediately with your sauce of choice.
No pasta machine? You can still make great pasta, though it will be a more labor-intensive process. Follow the steps above using a rolling pin instead of a pasta machine, gradually working the pasta from thick to thin and incorporating letter folds regularly. Make sure the dough is of an even thickness each time you make a fold. Allow the dough to rest for 5 minutes if it starts to snap back.
