Homemade pasta

It’s so therapeutic to knead and roll your own pasta dough and, of course, to eat it afterwards! Put on some mellow music, pour a glass of wine and get rolling... The quantities in our recipe are for one serving – adjust according to the number of guests at your table.

• 100g flour • a pinch of salt • 1 extra-large egg PLUS • extra flour for rolling • a sprinkling of fresh herbs (optional)

1 Sift the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl or directly onto your work surface and make a well in the centre. Whisk the eggs and pour into the well. Using a fork, mix slowly until the mixture becomes too thick to continue working with the fork; now you need to work with your hands.

2 Form the dough into a ball and knead until it’s soft and manageable. Try not to mix in any unnecessary flour; use your judgement. Cover the dough with an inverted mixing bowl and leave to rest for at least 15 minutes (up to 3 hours).

3 A pasta machine is useful for kneading the dough further and for ensuring that all the pasta ribbons are the same thickness, and will require the same cooking time. Secure your pasta machine firmly to a clean surface in the kitchen. Divide the dough into manageable quantities and use your hands to form each portion into a rough, flat rectangle.

4 Feed each portion through the widest setting of your machine. Opinions differ, but it’s worth the effort to fold each piece of dough into three again and feed it through the widest setting again; some cooks do this more than once. Use extra flour sparingly – just enough to prevent the dough from sticking to the rollers.

5 Now feed each piece of dough through the second widest setting, then the third widest, and so on until the second last setting. Place the sheets of pasta on a dry tea towel and cover with another dry tea towel for about 5–10 minutes before you start cutting.

TIPS]

• If you plan to cook your pasta on the same day, shape it into a nest with lots of flour to stop the ribbons from sticking together and destroying all your hard work. If you want to dry it for later, hang the ribbons over a drying rack and store in an airtight container. • For a fragrant twist, follow the instructions until the sheets are thinly rolled. Dust off any excess flour and sprinkle a few herb leaves on each sheet, fold over and repeat the rolling process. • For pappardelle (delicious with the oxtail sauce below), cut the slightly dried pasta into 1.5 to 2.5cm-wide ribbons with a sharp knife.