Handmade Pasta Recipe
Pasta rolled in-house each evening. Every strand is crafted by hand — because the table deserves nothing less.
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Ingredients
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Fresh Egg Pasta Dough
Flouring & Finishing
For Cooking and Serving
Method
Fresh Egg Pasta Dough
- 1
Measure and mound flours
On a clean work surface, combine 3 cups all-purpose flour and 1/2 cup semolina flour. Make a large mound and create a deep well in the center about 3 inches across, keeping the flour walls high so eggs don't escape.
- 2
Add eggs and seasonings
Crack 4 large eggs and 1 extra egg yolk into the well. Add 1 teaspoon fine sea salt and 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil to the eggs.
- 3
- 4
Knead the dough
Using your hands, bring the dough together and begin kneading on the floured surface for 8–10 minutes. The dough should become smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky but not sticky. If it's dry and crumbly, add up to 2 tablespoons water, 1 teaspoon at a time. If it's overly sticky, dust with a little more flour (up to 2 tablespoons).
- 5
Rest the dough
Form the dough into a ball, coat lightly with 1 teaspoon olive oil to prevent drying, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. Resting relaxes the gluten and makes rolling easier.
Rolling, Cutting & Dusting
- 6
Prepare workspace
Unwrap the dough and divide into 4 equal pieces. Keep unused pieces covered. Lightly flour your surface with the reserved 1/4 cup all-purpose flour and have 2 tablespoons semolina or cornmeal ready for dusting.
- 7
Flatten and roll
Flatten one piece with your palm into a rough rectangle about 1/4" thick. If using a pasta machine, run the dough through at the widest setting (0 or 1) several times, folding once between passes to develop uniformity, then progressively reduce the setting until the sheet reaches desired thickness (for tagliatelle ~2 on most machines; for thinner strands lower). If rolling by hand, use a rolling pin to roll the dough as thin as possible (aim for 1–1.5 mm).
- 8
Dust and rest sheets
Lightly dust each sheet with semolina or cornmeal to prevent sticking. Stack loosely with dusting between layers or hang over a drying rack for 10–15 minutes if your kitchen is humid.
- 9
Cut into strands
For hand-cut pasta (tagliatelle/linguine): fold lightly or roll the sheet into a loose cylinder dusted with semolina, then slice with a sharp knife to desired width (about 6–8 mm for tagliatelle). Unroll the strips and toss lightly with more semolina to keep separated. For fettuccine or spaghetti, adjust width accordingly.
- 10
Shape and spread
If making nests, gently coil about 2 ounces (by weight) of cut pasta into small nests on a tray dusted with semolina. Or lay strands loosely on a tray, not touching, so they dry very slightly before cooking.
Cooking & Serving
- 11
Boil salted water
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and add 2 tablespoons salt. Fresh pasta cooks quickly and needs more water for proper movement.
- 12
Cook fresh pasta
Gently add fresh pasta to the boiling water in batches so it can move freely. Cook for 1.5–3 minutes depending on thickness (very thin sheets 60–90 seconds; thicker strands up to 3 minutes). Test for al dente — tender but with a slight bite.
- 13
Reserve pasta water
Before draining, scoop out 1/2 to 1 cup of starchy pasta water and set aside to adjust sauce consistency if needed.
- 14
Finish with sauce
Drain the pasta (do not rinse) and transfer to the prepared sauce in a sauté pan over medium-low heat. Toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil or butter and a few tablespoons reserved pasta water as needed to emulsify and coat the strands. Cook together 30–60 seconds so flavors marry.
- 15
Serve
Plate immediately. Garnish as desired (cheese, herbs, cracked pepper). Fresh pasta is best served the moment it's cooked.