Homemade Pasta

I have only ever tried one homemade fresh pasta recipe and found it to be easy, consistent, and tasty so I have never bothered to experiment with other recipes (from Pasta: Italian, Asian, American...and More : Food and Wine Books - editor Judith Hill).  However, I have modified the recipe to make use of my KitchenAid mixer instead of kneading it all by hand or using a food processor (the two options in the book).  The first half dozen or so times I made the recipe I did do the full by hand kneading method and while a decent workout it really is not that hard.  But since I like to make large batches of pasta at a time for freezing I find that using the KitchenAid greatly speeds things up and allows me to focus more on pasta shapes versus kneading dough. 

I have made both the 2 egg and 3 egg versions with success.  I have used store bought large eggs in this recipe as well as farm fresh extra-large eggs.  I always use Pillsbury all-purpose flour (bleached not unbleached just because it is what I keep in  my pantry) and have never experimented with anything else.  Only one time have I had an issue with the egg to flour ratio being off and I think it was because I ended up with eggs that were closer in size to medium eggs not large.  I simply added in a another egg and then more flour until I reached the correct texture.

2 Egg Recipe (approximately the equivalent of 1/2 lb of dry pasta)

• 1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 extra-large eggs

3 Egg Recipe (approximately the equivalent of 3/4 lb of dry pasta)

• 1 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
• 3 extra-large eggs

Using KitchenAid to make dough
Using mixing paddle, speed 2 on KitchenAid, mix the egg and flour together for 30 seconds (just long enough to moisten all the flour with the egg).  Switch to the dough hook and mix on speed 2 for 2 minutes.  Knead the dough by hand on lightly floured surface for another 2 minutes.  Unlike biscuit making you really want to work this dough, kneading fully and firmly until the dough is nice and smooth and elastic. Wrap the dough in plastic for 20 minutes.  (Technically if you are rolling by machine you can proceed without letting the dough rest but I find it is worth letting it rest even when you roll by machine).

I use the pasta roller attachment for the KitchenAid and usually roll out to setting 5 following the instructions for this accessory (involves repeated folding of small sections of dough and rolling at setting 1 several times before rolling out to desired thinness).  If you are using an attachment to cut the pasta you can proceed directly to that step but if you are hand cutting the pasta it is best to let the pasta sheets dry for 10-15 minutes before cutting.  You can cook immediately or let rest in the fridge for an hour or so or freeze for one month.  If storing even for a short period of time be sure to dust the fresh cut pasta with flour to keep it from all sticking together.  How thin you roll the dough and what size you cut the pasta will determine cooking time.  For lasagna sheets rolled fairly thin I boil for 4 minutes, for angel hair I boil 2 to 3 minutes.

Making dough by hand
If you are making the dough by hand dump your flour on the counter top and make a well in the center.  Crack the eggs inside the well and using a fork (or fingers) gradually begin to pull the flour into the eggs.  Once it starts to pull together as dough, begin kneading by hand and knead for 10 minutes until you form a smooth, elastic dough.  Add in more flour if sticky or either more egg or a little water if dough is too dry.  If rolling by hand then wrap the dough in plastic for 30 minutes.  Otherwise I would still wrap the dough for at least 20 minutes and then proceed with machine rolling.

From Google Image Files

I have rolled it out by hand and that is by far the hardest part if you chose to do it all by hand. There is a very specific technique for rolling, turning, and stretching the dough out that is awkward at first but can be done.  I highly recommend having a cookbook with photos or watching a video on how to do this.  You will need a long skinny rolling pin; a regular rolling pin is not sufficient.  Work with small amounts of dough, keeping the portion you are not working wrapped in plastic.

Again, I recommend watching a video or consulting with a book that has photos in it.  To give you a general idea of the steps I will describe them briefly here. Roll dough with back and forth motion several times and then rotate a quarter turn, repeat process until dough is 1/4 inch thick.  Wrap top quarter of dough over rolling pin, holding securely against the pin and with other hand hold bottom of dough (on counter top) as you stretch the dough away from you (from the section wrapped on rolling pin). 

From Google Image Files

Rotate dough a quarter turn and repeat stretching process a total of 8 times.  Roll the dough out again starting from the middle of the dough rolling outward, rotating several times.  Repeat stretching process again this time with 1/3 of the dough wrapped around the rolling pin and placing both hands on the pin so that your palms are on top of dough and thumbs are touching.  With palms, press down as you slide your hands away from each other stretching the dough out along the rolling pin.  The cookbook describes this as more of a jiggling than stretching motion. Repeat and at same time as you stretch or slide the dough outwards, also roll the pin towards you bit by bit.   Keep sliding and rolling the dough until completely wrapped around the rolling pin.  Unroll, turn dough a quarter turn and repeat.  Continue this process until dough is 1/16 inch thick.  You want the dough to almost be translucent when you are done.

From Google Image Files