Basic Pasta Dough

Ingredients

  • 5 cups tipo 00 flour
  • 6 large free range eggs
  • olive oil

You can’t beat fresh pasta. It tastes lighter and does a better job of showcasing fresh ingredients than the dry boxed pasta you get at the grocery store. While it does take a bit of effort, it’s easy, satisfying, fun and cheap.

You’ll need tipo 00 flour, a very finely sieved flour available at gourmet stores across the city. I personally get mine at the St. Lawrence Market from some of the grocery vendors on the lower level.

You’ll also want a decent amount of counter space. So clear everything off, scrub it clean before you get started. If you don’t have a pasta machine, you can do what I did for the longest time: roll out the dough the old fashion way with a rolling pin. (instructions below).

Making the Dough

  1. Place the flour on a large board or on your freshly scrubbed counter. Make a well in the flour, making sure to create walls all the way around. You should have a circular shape.
  2. Crack open the eggs into the well of the flour and beat vigorously with a fork until smooth.
  3. Gradually add a bit of flour from the side into the centre, continuing to beat the eggs. Keep doing this until the two ingredients are combined. Add just the smallest splash of olive oil and mix. Now you’ll need to use your hands.
  4. Knead this very messy looking piece of dough, punching, pulling, squeezing it repetitively until you get a silky smooth ball of dough. You will probably break into a sweat, but it’ll be worth it, I promise! This part will probably take about 5 minutes or so, depending on how aggressive you are.
  5. Once the dough is smooth, shape it into a ball and wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Set aside in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, but not more than an hour or two. Now you’re ready to roll the pasta.

Rolling the Pasta: The Rolling Pin Method

  1. Dust your counter with flour
  2. OK, this is going to be one hell of a work-out, but it’s very doable. The key is to get the pasta very thin. I mean very thin. If you don’t have a long rolling pin, roll your pasta in small batches at a time. You’ll end up with a circular sheet of dough, from which you can slice up rectangular sheets. The dough should be thin enough that you can see your hand through it. If the pin starts to stick to the dough, dust with flour. This takes me about 20 minutes.

Rolling the Pasta: The Pasta Machine Method

  1. Clamp your pasta machine to the counter and dust your work area with flour.
  2. Rip out a chunk of the dough the size of a small orange and press it flat with your fingertips on the counter.
  3. With the machine at the widest (most open) setting, roll the pasta through. If it sticks at any time, dust the dough with flour.
  4. Click the machine down a setting and roll the pasta trough it. Fold it in half lengthwise.
  5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 five times.
  6. Roll the pasta through each setting once, dusting the dough lightly with flour after each pass. If you’re not too fussy, you can probably get away using the pasta at this stage if it’s smooth and thin. If you’re more anal, or want The World’s Best Pasta, you can follow the next step.
  7. Fold the pasta dough in half lengthwise, and repeat until you have a square. Rotate it 90 degress and pass it through the machine through each of the settings one last time.
  8. Shape or cut your pasta depending on the recipe.

To get started with your first pasta homemade pasta dish, how about trying The Perfect Summer Pasta?