Pasta fresca – Fresh pasta recipe
Fresh pasta can be made by hand simply with a rolling pin, like my mother, grandmothers and aunts did. However, I find it much easier and less time-consuming to use a pasta machine. They are available from kitchen shops and online. For home use, I suggest the small hand machine, but if you regularly make lots of pasta, then it is worth investing in the next size up. You can get electric machines, which mix the dough for you, but these tend to be costly and are very heavy.
Makes 300G / 10½OZ
200g/7oz/1⅓ cups ‘00’ flour, plus extra to dust
2 eggs
Preparation instructions:
Place the flour on a clean work surface or in a large bowl. Make a well in the middle and break in the eggs. Using a fork or your hands, gradually mix the flour with the eggs until combined. Knead for about 5 minutes to form a smooth, soft dough. Shape into a ball, wrap in clingfilm and leave for about minutes, or until you are ready to cook.
Divide the pasta dough into 4 portions and roll each one through your pasta ma- chine, starting at the highest setting. Continue to roll the pasta through the machine; as it gets thinner, turn down the settings until you get to number 1 and your pasta dough is almost wafer-thin.
Place the sheet of pasta on a lightly floured surface and use according to your recipe.
Non-egg fresh pasta
You can make pasta without eggs. Simply substitute 125ml/4fl oz/½ cup hot (not boiling) water for the eggs and follow the method as above.
Recipe from Gennaro Contaldo’s “Gennaro: Let’s Cook Italian: Favourite Family Recipes” cookbook.