Many people think making pasta is difficult, but of all edible doughs (some are not meant to be eaten), it's the easiest; after all, people have been making noodles for about 4,000 years. The ingredients - in this case, wheat flour and eggs - are simply mixed together, allowed to rest then rolled out. From start to finish, the dough takes less time to make than some sauces. A manual pasta machine makes life much easier than attempting to roll the dough by hand. These machines are inexpensive (about $400) and will last a lifetime. Today, we'll deal with plain pasta and sauces; next week, we'll make filled pasta.
Pasta dough
This basic dough is easy to vary. You can add saffron threads or powder (see below), use egg yolks instead of whole eggs or colour and flavour the dough with tomato paste or cooked, pureed spinach. No matter what you flavour it with - or if you leave it plain - the 'feel' of the dough has to be right: it should be malleable but not sticky. Don't hesitate to add more flour or liquid to achieve the right consistency.
400 grams flour, plain or Italian 00
4-5 large eggs, at room temperature
Place the flour in a large bowl and make a well in the centre. Crack three eggs into a small bowl and pour them into the well. Using one hand, stir the eggs and gradually mix in the flour, working from the centre of the well and gradually drawing in the flour around the perimeter. The mixture will seem sticky at first but as the ingredients are combined, it will become less tacky. If the dough is still too moist, sprinkle in more flour; if it's dry, add more egg (you might not need a whole one; you can also use olive oil or warm water). When the ingredients are combined, knead the dough briefly. Cut the dough into eight pieces, wrap them individually in plastic wrap and let them rest for about 30 minutes.
Work with one piece of dough at a time. Shape the dough into a thin rectangle and pass it through the pasta machine with the rollers set at the widest setting. If it sticks, dust the dough lightly with flour. Fold the dough in thirds, turn it 90 degrees and pass it through the machine again. Do this about six times then start to roll the dough thinner on increasingly narrow settings, one notch at a time. Remember: as the dough becomes thinner and longer, it also gets wider, so start rolling with a piece that's about half the width of the rollers. When the sheet of dough is the desired thinness, let it rest uncovered while working with the other pieces of dough (it's too moist to cut immediately after rolling; the noodles will stick together). The dough is ready to cut when still pliable but dry on both surfaces. If cutting the dough by hand, roll it loosely, flatten and cut with a sharp knife. After cutting the dough - either by hand or on the machine, dust the noodles lightly with flour and shape them into loose 'nests'. When ready to cook, boil a large pot of salted water and cook the noodles until al dente.
