Fresh Egg Pasta (Pasta all'Uovo)

Italian Pasta

Of course, you may buy fresh pasta, but it is rarely as delicate and tender as the pasta you make fresh at home. Most pasta shops roll the dough too thick, and the dough is often damp, causing the noodles to stick together. Finding an acceptable fresh pasta is not impossible, however. Shop around until you locate the brand or store that produces the lightest, finest noodle.

Ingredients

  • FOR A SCANT 1 1/2 POUNDS (SERVES 6):
  • 3 to 3 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 4 large eggs or 3 large eggs and 3 egg yolks, lightly beaten
  • 3 to 4 tablespoons water, or as needed
  • FOR I POUND (SERVES 4):
  • 2 1/4 to 2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3 large eggs
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons water, or as needed
  • FOR 1/2 POUND (SERVES 2):
  • 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
  • teaspoon salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons water, or as needed

Directions

In a large bowl, stir together the flour and salt. Make a well in the center and add the eggs. Beat the eggs and flour together lightly with a fork, then gradually pull the flour into the well until all of it is incorporated and a supple dough has formed. If it seems too dry, add a bit of water. If it is too wet, add a bit more flour. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, 10 to 15 minutes. Pat into a flattened disk and slip into a plastic bag. Allow to rest at room temperature for 30 to 60 minutes.

You may also assemble the pasta dough in a food processor. Put in the flour and salt. Pulse in the eggs, and then the water if needed. (Resist the temptation to add too much water or the dough will be too soft and sticky to roll out after it rests.) Gather the dough into a rough ball. The dough will be crumbly, so you will need to knead it on a lightly floured surfacc until it is smooth, 10 to 15 minutes. Pat into a flattened disk, slip into a plastic bag, and let rest at room temperature for 30 to 60 minutes.


Fresh egg pasta is an essential part of the Italian Jewish culinary repertoire. It is easy to make at home with a small, hand-cranked pasta machine, not an extruder that produces an elastic and often rather tough dough. For a tender noodle, use unbleached all-purpose flour, not the coarser semolina flour that is meant for commercially made extruded pasta. This recipe makes a rather stiff and dry-feeling dough, but ultimately will yield a lighter pasta. It is essential to let the dough rest before rolling it out, giving the gluten in the flour time to relax. A drier dough produces a pasta that will not be gummy when cooked. So take the time to knead it well and you will be rewarded with a silky, light, and tender noodle. Measure flour by spooning it into a measuring cup and leveling it with a knife. Weather affects pasta, so if the day is damp you may need a bit less flour. For the richest pasta, use more egg yolks than whole eggs. Three large egg yolks are the equivalent of a single large egg in moisture content. Note: If you use extra-large eggs you will not need any water. But since most of us have large eggs on hand, I have used them in the basic recipe.

Print this recipe

Submitted 11/26/05.
Source: Cucina Ebraica from Chronicle Books
Submitted By: B Smith

Fresh Egg Pasta (Pasta all'Uovo)