Fresh Egg Pasta
by Lidia Bastianich on Mar 17, 2012
Lidia Bastianich shares Italian and Irish wedding traditions when she attends her niece's wedding celebration in New York City in Lidia Celebrates America: Weddings: Something Borrowed, Something New. Here are Lidia's tips on how to make fresh pasta.
"Most countertops and work surfaces are built at a height that is comfortable for chopping and mixing. The best height for kneading any kind of dough is slightly lowerat about hip level, where you can really get your weight into the kneading process. If you have a convenient surface at such a height, use it to knead dough. If not, any countertop will dojust stand back a little from the table so youre pushing out, not down, on the dough. My grandmothers method for kneading dough is a little different that mostshe taught me to dig my knuckles into the dough in between rounds of gathering and pushing the dough. I pass that method along to you here. Even if you prepare the dough in a food processor, I suggest you finish kneading the dough by hand. Once you develop a feel for the right consistency of pasta dough, youll never lose it. Youll be able to make adjustments to the kneading time or the amount of flour or water to work into a dough each time you make it."--Lidia Bastianich
- Course
- Appetizer
Tags
Ingredients
- 3 cups unbleached all purpose flour, or as needed
- 4 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Warm water as needed
Instructions
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Spoon 2 ⅔ cups of the flour into the workbowl of a large capacity food processor fitted with the metal blade. Beat the eggs, olive oil and salt together in a small bowl until blended. With the motor running, pour the egg mixture into the feed tube. Process until the ingredients form a rough and slightly sticky dough. If the mixture is too dry, drizzle a very small amount of warm water into the feed tube and continue processing. Scrape the dough out of the workbowl onto a lightly floured wood or marble surface. (To mix the dough by hand, see the Note below.)
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Knead the dough by gathering it into a compact ball, then pushing the ball away from you with the heels of your hands. Repeat the gathering and pushing motion several times, then press into the dough, first with the knuckles of one hand, then with the other, several times. Alternate between kneading and ‘knuckling’ the dough until it is smooth, silky and elastic—it pulls back into shape when you stretch it. The process will take 5 to 10 minutes of constant kneading, slightly longer if you prepared the dough by hand. (Mixing the dough in a food processor gives the kneading process a little head start.) Flour the work surface and your hands lightly any time the dough begins to stick while you’re kneading.
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Roll the dough into a smooth ball and place in a small bowl. Cover with plastic wrap. Let the dough rest at least one hour at room temperature, or up to 1 day in the refrigerator before rolling and shaping the pasta. If the dough has been refrigerated, let it stand at room temperature for about an hour before rolling and shaping.
