Step 1
Sift the flour and salt together onto a clean work surface. Use your hands to shape
the flour into a circular mound. Make a well in the centre. Place the eggs in the
well and use a fork to lightly whisk. Use your fingertips to gradually blend a little
flour into the egg mixture. Working with your fingertips, continue to gradually
draw the flour into the centre (being careful the egg mixture does not run out of the
well) until the mixture forms a dough. To check if the dough is the right
consistency, press a clean, dry finger into the centre of the dough. If it comes out
clean without being sticky, it is the right consistency. If not, knead in a little more
flour and test again.
Step 2
Lightly flour the surface if necessary. Firmly knead the dough by using the heel of
your hand to firmly push down into it and then away from you. Lift the dough with
your fingertips and fold it back on itself towards you. Turn the dough a half turn
and repeat. Continue and repeat. Continue kneading the dough for 6-7 minutes or
until smooth and elastic. Kneading is an important part of the pasta-making process
as it develops the gluten in the flour, giving the pasta a firm, tender texture.Divide
the dough into 4 equal portions and wrap each portion in plastic wrap or cover with a clean, damp tea towel. This will prevent the dough from drying out. Set aside for
10 minutes to rest. This helps make the pasta more pliable and easier to roll out.
Step 3
Attach a pasta machine to the side of a workbench and adjust the machine's rollers
to the widest setting. Spread about 4 clean, dry tea towels over the work surface
close to the pasta machine. Unwrap a portion of dough and use the palm of your
hands to flatten it into a rectangle. Dust the rollers with flour and roll the dough
portion through. Dust again with flour and repeat on the same setting. Fold in the
shorter sides of the dough to meet in the centre to form a smaller rectangle and feed
through the machine again. Repeat this process 5-6 times or until smooth.
Step 4
Reduce the width between the rollers by 1 and roll the dough through as before.
Repeat the process, reducing the setting each time until the dough is 1-1.5mm
thick. The settings on all pasta machines vary. The last setting on some machines
may roll the dough too thin, resulting in it sticking to the rollers and tearing. So be
careful to only reduce the setting and roll the dough until it reaches the desired
thickness.
Step 5
Spread the pasta sheet over the clean tea towels. When laying out the pasta sheets,
they must not touch or overlap each other as the moist pasta will stick together.
Repeat steps 3-4 with the remaining portions of dough. Set the pasta sheets aside
for 10-15 minutes (depending on the temperature in your kitchen) or until dry
enough not to stick together but pliable enough not to crack. Trim the edges of the
pasta. Cut into 14 x 25cm pieces to make lasagne sheets or see step 6 to make
fettuccine.
Step 6
To cut the pasta into fettuccine by hand, loosely roll up a pasta sheet starting from
the shortest end. Trim the ends and discard. Use a sharp knife to cut the pasta crossways at 5mm intervals. Unravel the pasta. To cut pasta into fettuccine using
the pasta machine, you will need a fettuccine cutting attachment. Fit the machine
with the attachment and feed the pasta sheets, one at a time, through the fettuccine
attachment. Cook immediately or store individual portions as loose nests.
VARIATIONS:
Beetroot pasta: Omit 2 eggs. Place 180g drained canned whole baby beetroot in a blender or food
processor and process, scraping down the side occasionally, until pureed. Add with eggs in step 1.
Fresh chilli & coriander pasta: Add 3/4 tsp chilli flakes and 1/3 cup loosely packed fresh coriander
leaves with the eggs in step 1.
Fresh herbed pasta: Make the basic pasta recipe to the end of step 4. Gently press 5 mint leaves, 9
coriander leaves and 1 1/2 tsp snipped fresh chives in a single layer over half of each sheet of pasta. Fold
pasta over and roll through pasta machine once more to enclose herbs.
Fresh pesto pasta:Place 1/2 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves, 1 crushed garlic clove, 2 tbs finely
grated parmesan and 1 1/2 tbs toasted pine nuts in the bowl of a food processor and process until finely
chopped. Add the basil mixture with the eggs in step 1.
Fresh spinach pasta: Omit 1 egg. Trim 1 bunch English spinach and wash leaves. With water still clinging
to the leaves, cook in a medium saucepan over low heat for 3-4 minutes or until it just wilts. Set aside for
10 minutes to cool slightly. Use your hands to squeeze out any liquid. Finely chop the spinach and add
with eggs in step 1.
Fresh sundried tomato pasta: Omit 1 egg. Add 75g (1/4 cup) sundried tomato pesto with the eggs in step 1.
Orange pasta: Add 1 tsp finely grated orange rind with eggs in step 1.
Saffron pasta: Combine 1/4 tsp saffron threads with 1 tbs warm water. Stand for 5 minutes. Add saffron
water and threads with eggs in step 1.