Fresh Egg Pasta (Pasta Fresca All'uovo)

Instructions

Put the flour and salt in a food processor. Beat the eggs with the olive oil, then pour the mixture slowly through the feed tube with the machine running.

Keep processing until the dough gathers into a ball. If it stays crumbly, add water through the feed tube 1 teaspoon at a time until it comes together.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for 10 minutes. If it feels sticky, work in a little extra flour.

Wrap the dough in cling wrap and rest it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Then knead it again until it has warmed to room temperature.

Divide the dough into 2 balls. Roll each one on a floured surface or pastry cloth into a rectangle, turning it 90º after each pass, until the dough is paper thin. If it sticks, lift it carefully and flour the surface again.

Dust the rolled dough lightly and let it rest for 10 minutes. Roll it up from the shorter side like a jelly roll, then cut across with a sharp knife: 3 mm (⅛ inch) for tagliarini, 6 mm (¼ inch) for fetuccine and tagliatelle, or 100 mm (4 inches) for lasagna.

If you prefer a pasta machine, cut the dough into roughly 3 equal pieces. Pass each piece through the widest setting 5 or 6 times, folding it in thirds each time, until it is smooth, shiny and elastic. Then move down one setting at a time until the sheet is about 1 mm (1/16 inch) thick, and cut it with the strip attachment.

Hang the pasta over a clean broomstick handle supported on two chair backs, or lay it on waxed paper or clean tea towels. Cook it right away, or flour it well, wrap it in cling wrap and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.

Cook the pasta in 6 to 8 litres of water for 5 to 10 minutes, until al dente.