If you watch cooking shows on television or read cookbooks, you might think that it is almost impossible to make good pasta without a pasta machine. While a pasta machine may be handy, great pasta can be made by hand with nothing more than a rolling pin and sharp knife. Once the pasta has dried, it can be refrigerated or frozen for later use.
Making the Dough
Place 2 cups of pasta flour in a pile on a clean breadboard or work surface. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of salt on the flour, and mix the flour with your fingers to distribute the salt. Make a well in the center of the flour. Add 3 eggs in the center of the well. Use a fork to scramble the eggs. Beginning from the outside of the well, incorporate the flour into the eggs until you have used all of the flour and you have a stiff dough.
Kneading is Important
Knead the pasta dough just like you would bread dough. Knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic to the touch. This process will take at least 10 minutes. Break the dough in half to insure that all of the flour is incorporated in the center of the dough. If not, knead the two halves until the flour bits are completely gone.
Break the Dough
Break or cut the dough into three or four workable-sized pieces. Wrap the extra dough pieces in plastic wrap until you are ready to work with them. Lightly flour your work surface.
Roll out the Dough
Place the pasta dough on the work surface and press it with your hands until it is flat. Use a rolling pin to further flatten the dough until it is 1/8- to 1/4-inch thick.
Make the Pasta
Linguine or spaghetti pasta should be rolled to 1/8-inch thick. Dust the surface with a light dusting of flour and roll the pasta up, jelly-roll fashion. Use a sharp knife to cut the roll in 1/8-inch slices. For noodles or ravioli pasta, roll the pasta dough to no more than 1/4-inch thick. Use a sharp knife to cut the pasta into the desired length and widths.
Drying the Pasta
Separate the pasta and hang to dry. If you do not have a pasta rack, cover the bottom portion have a wire coat hanger with waxed or parchment paper and hang the pasta over the paper to dry. If hanging isn't possible, shake the pasta slices apart and lay out flat on waxed paper to dry. Turn the pasta over once during the drying process.
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