Time: about 45 minutes, plus 30 minutes’ resting
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients
2 cups (256 grams) 00 or all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
3 egg yolks, plus more as needed
Semolina flour, for dusting
Method
Mound flour in the middle of a large, wide mixing bowl.
Dig a well in the center of the mound and add eggs and yolks. Using a fork, beat the eggs and incorporate the flour, starting with the well’s inner rim.
The dough will start coming together in a shaggy mass.
Continue to mix dough using your fingers, pressing in any loose bits.
If needed, add another egg yolk or a tablespoon of water to absorb all the flour. Once dough comes together, remove it from the bowl.
Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead by hand for 4 to 5 more minutes until dough is smooth, elastic and uniform in color.
Wrap it in plastic and set aside for at least 30 minutes (and up to 4 hours) at room temperature.
Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper and lightly dust with semolina flour. Set aside.
Cut off 1/4 of the dough. Rewrap the rest, and set aside.
Use the heel of your hand to flatten it into an oval about the same width as your pasta machine, about 6 inches. Set rollers to widest setting and pass dough through.
Continue rolling the pasta through the machine, moving gradually from the widest setting until you can just see the outline of your hand when you hold it under a sheet, about 1/16-inch thick for noodles and thinner for filled pasta. (On most machines, you won’t make it to the thinnest setting.)
Cut pasta into sheets, about 12 to 14 inches long.
Dust lightly with semolina flour, stack on a prepared baking sheet and cover with a clean, lightly dampened kitchen towel. Repeat with remaining dough.
Notes:
For an herbed pasta, stir in 1/2 cup finely chopped parsley, chives, chervil, tarragon or basil in any combination to the eggs before adding to the flour.
For whole grain pasta, substitute 1 cup sifted whole wheat, spelt or farro flour for 1 cup of the 00 or all-purpose flour. Add extra egg yolks or water as needed and allow dough to rest for 1 hour before rolling.
To make saffron pasta, place a large pinch of saffron threads and a pinch of salt into a mortar and pestle.
Grind finely, then add 1 tablespoon boiling water to make saffron tea. Allow tea to cool, then whisk into the eggs.
Rinse the remaining saffron out of the mortar and pestle with another tablespoon of cool water and whisk into the eggs.
Add to the flour in the main recipe and proceed from there.
To make green pasta, steam or sauté 6 ounces (about 6 cups) baby spinach until just wilted.
Remove from pan and spread out in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
When cool, squeeze the leaves thoroughly, a palmful at a time, then chop roughly.
Purée in a blender with 2 eggs and 1 egg yolk, then add mixture to flour.
It will take the place of the eggs and yolks in the main recipe.