Grandpa Joe's
Pasta Dough

This one requires a bit of muscle, but it's worth it.

About this recipe

Most people I know, even the ones who love to cook, are somehow intimidated by the thought of making their own pasta.  Once they've tried it, though, they become sold.  Nothing could be easier, and it is essentially error-proof.  It's nearly impossible to do anything wrong.

I will admit that kneading a stiff ball of dough for ten minutes is not a trivial effort, but the difference between this pasta and anything you can buy anywhere is impossible to describe.  You will understand after your first bite – guaranteed.

Ingredients

  • 6 eggs
  • 3 to 4 cups bread flour

Directions

  1. Mound about 3 cups of the flour in the center of a large wooden cutting board.  Pile the other cup of flour in one corner of the board.  Make a volcano-like well in the middle of the first flour pile and add the eggs.  Using a fork, beat together the eggs and begin to incorporate the flour, starting with the inner rim of the well.
  2. As you expand the well, keep pushing the flour up from the outer base of the mound to retain the well shape.  The dough will come together when about half of the flour is incorporated.
  3. Start kneading the dough with both hands, using the palms of your hands.  Once you have a cohesive mass, remove the dough from the board, scrape up any leftover bits and add them to your dough ball.  
  4. Lightly re-flour the board and continue kneading for 10 more minutes (no cheating here – this part is important).  Use flour from the reserved corner pile to keep the dough from becoming even slightly sticky and the board floured at all times.
  5. Wrap the dough in plastic and allow it to rest for at least 30 minutes (and preferably one hour) at room temperature. 
  6. Roll or shape as desired.  Add more flour, as necessary, to continue to keep the dough from becoming even slightly sticky.
Preparing Past Dough using the well method.
Pasta Dough after ten minutes of kneading.

Notes

  • Six eggs produces about two pounds of pasta.  If you prefer, you can reduce or increase the number of eggs (and the amount of flour, accordingly), but using more than eight at one time increases the weight of the dough to the point of being very difficult to knead properly.
  • Cook your freshly-made pasta in salted boiling water for about 4 minutes.
  • Fresh pasta also freezes well.  Dust the finished pasta with more flour, place waxed paper between layers of pasta, and store in airtight plastic bags.  I fill each bag with a half-pound of pasta, or two servings.
Posted: February 2014.