I told you this recipe needs no pasta machine, but it also requires no kneading. Yep, you heard me right. Just form a dough, roll it out, and cut it up.
Egg + Flour = Pasta. Simple as that. This super simple pasta recipe starts from combining egg and flour in a food processor and shaping it into a ball to form dough. It's really not that hard, and it only takes 10 minutes.
When I tell someone I made pasta from scratch, they are amazed and surprised. People think making pasta at home is hard. I'm telling you, IT ISN'T. Just combine ingredients in a food processor, form the dough into the ball, roll it out, cut pasta.
There are so many recipes out there that call for 1 whole egg and 8 egg yolks, or something ridiculous as that. As a home cook, I find that wasteful and completely unnecessary. What am I supposed to do, make meringue every time I make pasta? Make an egg white omelette? I formulated this recipe to only require whole eggs, no egg whites are wasted.
This recipe is designed for a home cook, not for an Italian chef. You don't need to get the fanciest flour out there. Just use plain and simple all-purpose. It works out just as well, and as someone who makes pasta often, I can tell you, there is almost no difference.
Ingredients:
2 whole eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
Dough:
Combine all ingredients in a food processor and pulse 8-10 times or until the egg and flour have come together to form small crumbs.
Empty it out onto a cutting board, and bring it together to form a ball.
That's it, plain and simple - pasta dough.
Cover it with plastic wrap to let the gluten relax. This will make it more pliable. Wait 15 minutes.
Cutting Pasta:
Lightly flour cutting board and divide dough in half. Using a rolling pin, roll until the dough is about a few centimeters thick, or you can see the cutting board through the dough. It is important to keep the dough thin, or the pasta will become very chewy.
Next fold the dough over itself twice, until it looks like a rolled quesadilla.
Using a sharp, floured knife, cut out pasta about 1/4 inch thick for fettuccine. For pappardelle, cut about an inch thick. Remember, the cuts don't have to be perfect. This is going to be a bit rustic.
Next, elongate the pasta and toss in a lightly floured bowl to prevent sticking. Cover with plastic wrap to prevent drying out, and store in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Tip: When cooking fresh pasta, remember to cook for only 60-90 seconds. Fresh pasta cooks very fast, so when following a recipe, adjust accordingly.
Check out my spaghetti and tomato sauce recipe to use this pasta.
Congratulations! You just made fresh pasta.