Fresh Pasta Rectangles Recipes

HOMEMADE PASTA

Steps:

• Place the flour on a clean work surface and make a nest. Add the eggs, olive oil, and salt to the center and use a fork to gently break up the eggs, keeping the flour walls intact as best as you can. Use your hands to gently bring the flour inward to incorporate. Continue working the dough with your hands to bring it together into a shaggy ball.
• Knead the dough for 8 to 10 minutes. At the beginning, the dough should feel pretty dry, but stick with it! It might not feel like it's going to come together, but after 8-10 minutes of kneading, it should become cohesive and smooth. If the dough still seems too dry, sprinkle your fingers with a tiny bit of water to incorporate. If it's too sticky, dust more flour onto your work surface. Shape the dough into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
• Dust 2 large baking sheets with flour and set aside.
• Slice the dough into four pieces. Gently flatten one into an oval disk. Run the dough through the Pasta Roller Attachment three times on level 1 (the widest setting).
• Set the dough piece onto a countertop or work surface. Fold both short ends in to meet in the center, then fold the dough in half to form a rectangle (see photo above).
• Run the dough through the pasta roller three times on level 2, three times on level 3, and one time each on levels 4, 5, and 6.
• Lay half of the pasta sheet onto the floured baking sheet and sprinkle with flour before folding the other half on top. Sprinkle more flour on top of the second half. Every side should be floured so that your final pasta noodles won't stick together.
• Repeat with remaining dough.
• Run the pasta sheets through the Pasta Cutter Attachment (pictured is the fettuccine cutter). Repeat with remaining dough. Cook the pasta in a pot of salted boiling water for 1 to 2 minutes.

HOMEMADE PASTA IN A FOOD PROCESSOR

Steps:

• Place flour and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade and pulse to combine.
• With the machine running, add eggs one at a time and blend after each addition. Add olive oil and process until dough looks like a coarse meal that comes together when pressed into a ball, about 10 seconds. Do not over-process. If the dough seems excessively sticky, add a little more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, processing just until incorporated.
• Lightly dust work surface and hands with flour. Turn dough out of food processor and knead until elastic and smooth, and no longer sticky, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Shape dough into a disk and cover with plastic wrap or an overturned bowl. Let rest for at least 1 hour at room temperature (or up to 1 day in refrigerator) before rolling. If the dough has been refrigerated, let stand at room temperature for about an hour before rolling and shaping.
• Cut the dough into 6 to 8 pieces. Flatten it into small rectangles to fit through a pasta machine.
• Keeping the dough lightly floured, roll the pieces through a pasta machine set at its widest opening. Keep rolling pasta through machine as progressively narrower settings, forming strips.
• Lay pasta strips on a lightly floured surface and keep covered with towels. One at a time, fold strips into a flat roll and slice crosswise into ribbons. Unfurl ribbons and transfer to a floured baking sheet. Slice lengthwise into long ribbons, about 1 1/2 inches wide, using a sharp knife or pizza cutter.
• Cook pasta in boiling salted water for 2 to 4 minutes, until al dente. Drain and serve immediately.

FRESH PASTA

Steps:

• Heap the flour, and make a well in it. Break the eggs into the well. Beat eggs with a fork. Stir into the flour from the bottom of the well with the fork until the dough in the center is smooth or shiny.
• With your hands, gradually incorporate the flour from the outside of the well toward the center, kneading gently until the mass of dough comes together. Knead the dough until it is smooth and resilient. You may need to add more flour, or you may not be able to incorporate all of the flour, depending on the humidity and the size of the eggs. If the dough is sticky or extremely pliable, knead more flour into it.
• Divide the dough into three portions, cover with plastic wrap or an overturned bowl, and allow to rest for at least 30 minutes.
• Roll the dough out very thin on a lightly floured surface, one portion at a time. If you have a pasta machine, follow the manufacturer's instructions for rolling out the dough into sheets about 1 millimeter thick. Use as desired.

A BASIC RECIPE FOR FRESH EGG PASTA

Steps:

• Place the flour on a board or in a bowl. Make a well in the centre and crack the eggs into it. Beat the eggs with a fork until smooth.
• Using the tips of your fingers, mix the eggs with the flour, incorporating a little at a time, until everything is combined.
• Knead the pieces of dough together - with a bit of work and some love and attention they'll all bind together to give you one big, smooth lump of dough!
• Once you've made your dough you need to knead and work it with your hands to develop the gluten in the flour, otherwise your pasta will be flabby and soft when you cook it, instead of springy and al dente. There's no secret to kneading. You just have to bash the dough about a bit with your hands, squashing it into the table, reshaping it, pulling it, stretching it, squashing it again. It's quite hard work, and after a few minutes it's easy to see why the average Italian grandmother has arms like Frank Bruno! You'll know when to stop - it's when your pasta starts to feel smooth and silky instead of rough and floury.
• Wrap the dough in clingfilm and put it in the fridge to rest for at least 30 minutes - make sure the clingfilm covers it well or it will dry out and go crusty round the edges (this will give you crusty lumps through your pasta when you roll it out, and nobody likes crusty lumps!).
• How to roll your pasta: first of all, if you haven't got a pasta machine it's not the end of the world! All the mammas I met while travelling round Italy rolled pasta with their trusty rolling pins and they wouldn't even consider having a pasta machine in the house! When it comes to rolling, the main problem you'll have is getting the pasta thin enough to work with. It's quite difficult to get a big lump of dough rolled out in one piece, and you need a very long rolling pin to do the job properly. The way around this is to roll lots of small pieces of pasta rather than a few big ones. You'll be rolling your pasta into a more circular shape than the long rectangular shapes you'll get from a machine, but use your head and you'll be all right!
• If using a machine to roll your pasta, make sure it's clamped firmly to a clean work surface before you start (use the longest available work surface you have). If your surface is cluttered with bits of paper, the kettle, the bread bin, the kids' homework and stuff like that, shift all this out of the way for the time being. It won't take a minute, and starting with a clear space to work in will make things much easier, I promise.
• Dust your work surface with some Tipo 00 flour, take a lump of pasta dough the size of a large orange and press it out flat with your fingertips. Set the pasta machine at its widest setting - and roll the lump of pasta dough through it. Lightly dust the pasta with flour if it sticks at all.
• Click the machine down a setting and roll the pasta dough through again. Fold the pasta in half, click the pasta machine back up to the widest setting and roll the dough through again. Repeat this process five or six times. It might seem like you're getting nowhere, but in fact you're working the dough, and once you've folded it and fed it through the rollers a few times, you'll feel the difference. It'll be smooth as silk and this means you're making wicked pasta!
• Now it's time to roll the dough out properly, working it through all the settings on the machine, from the widest down to around the narrowest. Lightly dust both sides of the pasta with a little flour every time you run it through.
• When you've got down to the narrowest setting, to give yourself a tidy sheet of pasta, fold the pasta in half lengthways, then in half again, then in half again once more until you've got a square-ish piece of dough. Turn it 90 degrees and feed it through the machine at the widest setting. As you roll it down through the settings for the last time, you should end up with a lovely rectangular silky sheet of dough with straight sides - just like a real pro! If your dough is a little cracked at the edges, fold it in half just once, click the machine back two settings and feed it through again. That should sort things out.
• Whether you're rolling by hand or by machine you'll need to know when to stop. If you're making pasta like tagliatelle, lasagne or stracchi you'll need to roll the pasta down to between the thickness of a beer mat and a playing card; if you're making a stuffed pasta like ravioli or tortellini, you'll need to roll it down slightly thinner or to the point where you can clearly see your hand or lines of newsprint through it.
• Once you've rolled your pasta the way you want it, you need to shape or cut it straight away. Pasta dries much quicker than you think, so whatever recipe you're doing, don't leave it more than a minute or two before cutting or shaping it. You can lay over a damp clean tea towel which will stop it from drying.

BASIC PASTA DOUGH

Steps:

• PLACE the flour on a board or in a bowl and make a well in the centre. CRACK the eggs into the well, add a pinch of salt then with a fork, mix the egg into the flour as much as possible so it's not sticky. Don't worry if there are lumps in the dough. Keep mixing and then when crumbs form put it on a flat surface and knead together. You can also speed this up by mixing your ingredients in a food processor until they bind. ONCE it is all combined, knead until you have a silky, smooth, elastic dough. You are aiming to achieve a playdough texture. If your dough is crumbly (too dry) add a teaspoon of olive oil. If the dough sticks to your hands (too wet) add a little extra flour. COVER with cling film and rest for 30 minutes. TIP: The general rule for portions is 100g flour, 1 egg and a pinch of salt for a generous portion of pasta for 1 person *****You can catch us making this on our YouTube channel***** WHEN using a pasta roller, take a tennis ball-sized amount of dough, squash it flat with your fingers (remember to keep the rest of your dough covered with the cling film so it doesn't go dry and crusty) push it through the pasta roller on the widest setting. Fold into thirds, then repeat 3 times. Once you have a rough square shape, start working it through the machine, taking it down one setting at a time, until the thinnest setting. If your pasta is too sticky, it won't go through smoothly, so add a little flour to each side before you put it through the roller. Try to avoid too much flour - the less you use, the better otherwise your pasta can start to feel heavy and claggy when cooked. YOU should end up with a long sheet of pasta about 8-10cm wide. Place this on a flat surface with flour underneath to stop it from sticking. This is the most versatile form as from this sheet you can create so many different shapes and dishes. See our individual recipes for suggestions on how to make linguine, tagliatelle, pappardelle, ravioli and tortelli etc. LINGUINE: Sprinkle a little flour over both sides of the pasta sheet and fold it into thirds (short edges together). using a sharp knife, cut into 3mm- wide strips, lengthways. When you unfold the pasta you will have long linguine. TAGLIATELLE: Sprinkle a little flour over both sides of the pasta sheet and fold it into thirds (short edges together). using a sharp knife, cut into 1cm- wide strips, lengthways. When you unfold the pasta you will have long tagliatelle. PAPPARDELLE: Sprinkle a little flour over both sides of the pasta sheet and fold it into thirds (short edges together). Trim the long edges straight with a sharp knife, and cut into 2.5cm-wide strips, lengthways. When you unfold the pasta you will have long pappardelle. FARFALLE: Place your sheet of pasta on a floured surface. Use a pasta cutting wheel or sharp knife to cut your pasta into strips roughly 3-4 cm wide then cut across to create little rectangles. Take each rectangle and with lightly floured fingers, pinch in the middle to create your butterfly shaped pasta. If your pasta is too dry, wet your fingertips with some water. Lightly dust a few trays with polenta or semolina to prevent the farfalle from sticking together. Place the farfalle onto the trays and repeat the process until you have used all the remaining dough. Leave to dry for 20 minutes so they hold their shape when cooking. YOU can also roll your dough by hand using a rolling pin but you'll need some serious elbow grease to get your pasta sheets really thin (about 1 playing card thick). DOUGH can be stored in the fridge overnight if you don't want to cut it immediately, however any longer and you risk the dough turning black. ONCE you've cut your pasta shapes, if you make more pasta than you want to use (I like to cook 100g of pasta per person), leave it to air dry for 2-3 days and once completely dry it will keep in a bag or jar for several months. COOKS TIPS QUANTITIES: 100g of flour makes approximately 150g dough - enough for 1-2 people. 400g flour makes approximately 600g dough - enough for 4-6 people. Add one egg per 100g flour and scale up or down depending on the number of people you are serving. THE CUP: Find a cup that is equivalent to 100g flour when full. Keep this to avoid having to weigh your flour each time. THE DOUGH: This recipe is easy and basic and doesn't change. What does change is the quality of the flour, the size of eggs and the humidity in the air (think of how your hair reacts differently when you wash it if it's a sunny day or wet day). Don't panic; what is important is to know what consistency you are trying to achieve, then you can adjust things accordingly. THE FEEL: The consistency of the dough should be like playdough - it shouldn't be too dry or fall apart but it shouldn't be too wet either or stick to your hands. It's ok if it's a little crumbly provided that all the flour is binding together. Once rested it will be much better. To help you achieve the right consistency you can do the following: Hold back the last egg if you are using more than 100g of flour. Check the consistency, then add the final egg slowly yolk first, then the white - if you need it. This should help make sure the dough isn't too wet. If it is too wet (sticking to your hands) add a little flour until it binds. If the dough is too dry (i.e. completely falling apart and not binding) add a teaspoon of olive oil. But only do this if it is absolutely necessary. Remember it's ok for the dough to look a little dry and crumbly after you've done the kneading. If you leave it to rest it will improve. You should be able to easily mop up all the remaining flour on the surface with your ball of dough. NOT TOO MUCH FLOUR: Don't be tempted to add too much flour - the more flour you add, the heavier the pasta will be. When flour is added to water it basically turns to glue, so if you add too much flour to the mix, your pasta will become claggy and heavy. This is why, you should always place pasta shapes on a tray with polenta or semolina rather than flour, as it disperses when the pasta is put in the water. TYPE OF FLOUR: You really should use type '00' flour when making fresh pasta as it makes the world of difference to the texture. You don't want to make your life difficult, so invest in your flour. TYPE OF EGGS: Again you can use any medium sized eggs but the better the quality, the better the dough. In Italy they buy eggs with a large and very yellow yolk which gives the dough and pasta a vibrant yellow colour - try corn fed for the same effect. CLING FILM: Always keep the dough under cling film or a plastic bag once formed - otherwise it risks going hard and forming a crust. RESTING: If you are in a hurry, then it is not essential to rest the dough, but if you do have time, a 15 or 30 minute rest will really help your pasta have the elasticity it needs to stretch. PREPARING YOUR SHAPES: Once you've cut your pasta shapes, place them on a tray which has a dusting of polenta (as mentioned above). Space them out so that they air-dried a little and don't stick together. Alternatively, if making long strips of pasta, you can hang them on a clean coat hanger or clothes horse. STORING EXTRA PASTA: Once you have cut your pasta shapes, if you make more pasta than you want to use, leave it to air dry for 2-3 days and once completely dry it will keep in a bag or jar for several months. WASHING UP: You might call us crazy but don't wipe your surfaces with a dish cloth if they have lots of flour on them. Remember flour + water = glue. Our mum used to go mad if we wiped up a load of flour with her new clean dish cloths. Instead, we use anything with a firm flat edge (plastic scraper, back edge of a blunt knife) to get the excess flour off and then wipe the remains with kitchen towel.

FRESH PASTA

Steps:

• Place the cake flour, all-purpose flour, egg yolks and salt in a food processor. Pulse to combine. With the machine running, gradually add the oil then 1/3 to 1/2 cup water until the mixture forms a dough (the dough should stick together if pinched between your fingers). If necessary, add additional water, 1 teaspoon at a time if the dough is too dry.
• Place the dough on a lightly floured surface. Gather the dough into a ball and knead until the dough is smooth, 5 to 8 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Cut the dough into quarters and press flat. Run each piece of pasta dough several times through a pasta-rolling machine, adjusting the setting each time, until the pasta is about 1/8 to 1/16-inch thick. Cut the pasta into the desired shape and use as needed.

FRESH PASTA

Steps:

• Beat together the eggs, yolk and olive oil with a fork in a large spouted measuring cup.
• Combine the flour and a large pinch of kosher salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse briefly to combine. With the food processor motor running, gradually pour the egg mixture through the feed tube and let it run until the dough forms a ball around the blade. (If the dough is too sticky to form a ball, add a tablespoon or so of flour and process again. If it is too crumbly to form a ball, add cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and process again.) Once the dough forms a ball, process until smooth and springy, 20 to 30 seconds.
• Transfer the dough to a floured work surface and knead several times, until the dough comes together in a smooth ball.
• Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. (The dough can be made 1 day ahead, wrapped and refrigerated. Let it come to room temperature before rolling.)
• Anchor a pasta machine to your countertop or secure the pasta attachment to a stand mixer. Set the machine to the widest setting. Unwrap the dough and cut it into 4 equal pieces. Wrap 3 of the pieces while you work with the fourth.
• Flatten the dough into a rectangle and lightly dust with flour. Roll it through the pasta machine at the widest setting. Fold the dough in thirds like a letter and feed it through the pasta machine. Repeat the folding and feeding of the dough through the machine 2 more times. (Rolling and folding in this manner will help strengthen and smooth the dough.)
• Set the pasta machine to the next setting (one setting thinner than the widest). Flour the dough as necessary and feed it through the machine. Repeat, feeding it through one more time.
• Adjust the machine to the next thinnest setting and feed the dough through 2 times as above. Continue changing the setting and feeding the dough through 2 times for each setting until you have fed the dough through the second-to-last setting. The dough should be thin enough so that you can see your hand through it.
• If you are cutting your pasta into noodles: Stop rolling the dough through after you have gone through the second-to-last setting.
• If you are making filled pasta, like ravioli: Change the machine to the final setting and feed the dough through.
• Cut the dough in half crosswise and cover it with plastic wrap. Repeat the folding, rolling and cutting process with the 3 remaining pieces of dough. Cover each piece of dough as you finish. You should have 8 pieces of dough total.
• If you are cutting your pasta into noodles: Affix the cutting attachment to the pasta machine. Choose the desired setting and feed the dough through. Lightly toss the noodles with a little flour on a baking sheet to prevent sticking and cover with a dry kitchen towel while you process the rest of the dough. Cook the noodles in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, 3 to 4 minutes.
• If you are making filled pasta: Proceed according to your recipe's instructions.

FRESH PASTA SHEETS

Steps:

• To make dough in a processor:
• Blend flour, eggs, salt, and 2 tablespoons water in a food processor until mixture just begins to form a ball, adding more water, drop by drop, if dough is too dry (dough should be firm and not sticky). Process dough for 15 seconds more to knead it. Transfer to a floured surface and let stand, covered with an inverted bowl, 1 hour to let the gluten relax and make rolling easier.
• To make dough by hand:
• Mound flour on a work surface, preferably wooden, and make a well in center. Add eggs, salt, and 2 tablespoons water to well. With a fork, gently beat eggs and water until combined. Gradually stir in enough flour to form a paste, pulling in flour closest to egg mixture and being careful not to make an opening in outer wall of well. Knead remaining flour into mixture with your hands to form a dough, adding more water drop by drop if dough is too dry (dough should be firm and not sticky). Knead dough until smooth and elastic, 8 to 10 minutes. Cover with an inverted bowl and let stand 1 hour to let the gluten relax and make rolling easier.
• Roll pasta:
• Divide dough into 8 pieces, then flatten each piece into a rough rectangle and cover rectangles with an inverted large bowl. Set rollers of pasta machine on widest setting.
• Lightly dust 1 rectangle with flour and feed through rollers. (Keep remaining rectangles under bowl.) Fold rectangle in half and feed it, folded end first, through rollers 7 or 8 more times, folding it in half each time and feeding folded end through. Dust with flour if necessary to prevent sticking. Turn dial to next (narrower) setting and feed dough through rollers without folding. Continue to feed dough through rollers once at each setting, without folding, until you reach narrowest setting. Dough will be a smooth sheet (about 36 inches long and 4 inches wide). Cut sheet crosswise in half. Lay sheets of dough on lightly floured baking sheets to dry until leathery but still pliable, about 15 minutes. (Alternatively, lightly dust pasta sheets with flour and hang over the backs of straight-backed chairs to dry.) Roll out remaining pieces of dough in same manner.

FRESH PASTA

Steps:

• Blend all ingredients in a food processor until mixture begins to form a ball. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface, incorporating only as much additional flour as necessary to keep dough from sticking, until smooth and elastic, 6 to 8 minutes. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and let stand 1 hour.
• Set smooth rollers of pasta machine on widest setting. Cut dough into 4 pieces. Cover 3 pieces with plastic wrap, then form remaining piece into a rectangle and feed through rollers. Fold rectangle in half and feed, folded end first, through rollers 8 more times, folding in half each time and dusting with flour if necessary to prevent sticking.
• Turn dial to next (narrower) setting and feed dough through without folding. Catch pasta sheet with your hand as it feeds through rollers instead of letting it crumple at base of machine. Continue to feed through without folding, making space between rollers narrower each time and dusting with flour if it begins to stick, until second narrowest setting is reached.
• Lay pasta sheet on a floured surface and cut into 2 (6- by 4-inch) rectangles. Roll out and cut remaining 3 pieces of dough in same manner to form a total of 8 pasta squares.

FRESH PASTA RECTANGLES

Steps:

• Make dough:
• Blend all-purpose flour and eggs in a food processor until mixture just begins to form a ball. (Dough should come together but still be somewhat sticky.) If dough is too loose, add additional flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, until dough comes together. Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let stand at room temperature 20 minutes.
• Roll out dough:
• Set smooth rollers of pasta machine at widest setting. Cut dough into 3 pieces and keep 2 pieces and keep 2 pieces wrapped in plastic wrap. Flatten unwrapped piece of dough into a rectangle and dust with all-purpose flour, then feed through rollers. Fold rectangle in half and feed through rollers 4 more times, folding in half each time and dusting with flour as necessary to prevent sticking.
• Turn dial to next (narrower) setting and feed dough through without folding. Continue to feed dough through without folding, making space between rollers narrower each time, until second-to-last setting is used. Cut sheet into 4 (6- by 4-inch) rectangles.
• Transfer to a wax-paper-lined baking sheet dusted with semolina flour and cover with plastic wrap. Roll out and cut remaining dough into noodles for another use.