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Italian Vegetarian

Fresh pasta

Place the flour and eggs in a food processor and whizz until the mixture just starts to come together.  Tip out onto a clean worktop and using your hands, bring together into a dough.  Knead for 5 minutes until it feels quite firm and is glossy, it will stick to your hands but just keep working it fats and it will come together.  Wrap in clingfilm and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.  Roll out using a pasta machine and use to make any fresh pasta

We have found that making fresh pasta involves a bit of trial and error. The egg to flour ratio can vary depending on what make of flour you use, the heat of your kitchen, the size of the eggs etc but the amounts above (usually!) work for me. I have also tried adding salt and olive oil to the mixture as suggested in some recipes but I don’t think you always need to. If you have never made fresh pasta before then just have a go and feel free to adjust the amounts if you don’t think it’s working out. It may take more than one attempt!

Rolling it out is quite easy when you get used to it. Cut the dough into 2 or 3 pieces and roll out one piece at a time. Keep the remainder covered up until you need it or it will dry out and become difficult to use. Start off at the widest setting on the machine and work your way down.

You can make it without a food processor, I just find this method quicker and easier. It also creates less mess! The traditional method is to place the flour in a bowl or on a worktop, shape it into a mound, make a well in the centre and add the eggs. Use you fingertips to slowly mix the egg into the flour, working from the inside to the outside.

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