Pasta Fresca-LCI

By stancec44

Ingredients

• 2 3/4 3/4 c. unbleached all purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 3 lg. eggs
• 1/4 c. water
• Salt
• 1 tsp. virgin olive oil
• (If green pasta wanted, use 5 oz. frozen leaf spinach or 1 small bunch fresh spinach. Directions follow plain pasta recipe.

Details

Servings 1
Preparation time 15mins
Cooking time 60mins

Preparation

Step 1

Mound flour in a large mixing bowl; create a well in the center and add eggs, water and pinch salt. Using a fork, gently break eggs and slowly incorporate flour from the inside rim of the well. When the liquid is absorbed, knead the dough in the bowl until it forms a complete mass.

Transfer dough to a light floured board and knead for 8 minutes more (or use dough hook in KitchenAid). Drizzle oil over the top, knead for 1 minute to incorporate, then wrap tightly in plastic, and let rest for 45 minutes at room temp, or up to 3 hours in fridge before rolling.

Cut pasta dough into into 4 pieces. Wrap pieces tightly in plastic to keep from drying out. Set pasta machine to widest setting (1 for KA). Flatten 1 piece into rectangle. Run dough piece through machine. Fold in half (don't overlap ends) crosswise (end to end) and run through again. Continue to run through machine, Turing machine to narrower settings after 2 passes and dusting with flour as needed to keep from sticking, until pasta sheet is scant 1/16" thick (about 5 on KA). Place pasta sheet on lightly floured work surface, cover with plastic to keep from drying out. Repeat with remaining pasta pieces, then cut into desired shape or noodle.

For Green Pasta dough: Use 1 1/2c. flour, 1 lg. egg, 1 Tbsp. olive oil and either 5 oz. packaged frozen leaf spinach, thawed, or one small bunch fresh spinach. If using thawed, cook it in a cover pan with pinch slat until tender, about 5 minutes. If using fresh, rise (do not dry) and cook in a large skillet with pinch salt, stirring, until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain spinach of all liquid, cool, then squeeze tightly with hands to press out all remaining liquid. Finely chop. Add spinach to eggs in well of flour, as described in first step above. Lightly beat spinach and egg together and proceed as directed.