Best Perfect Pasta Dough Recipes

PERFECT PASTA DOUGH

Steps:

• Place the first 5 ingredients in a mixer using the paddle attachment (not dough hook).
• Gradually add the water (you may not need it all) until the dough begins to form a ball and is sticky.
• Remove and place on floured service; kneed for 4-5 minutes incorporating enough additional flour into the dough until the tackiness is gone.
• Allow to sit for 15-20 minutes.
• Cut into 6 pieces, and flatten (with roller or by hand) into a rectangular shape. Keep a dish towel over the other pieces to keep them from drying out.
• Run through the pasta machine at the widest setting 6-10 times until the dough is smooth. If one end is narrower than the other, fold the narrow end until the width evens a bit. To make linguine, I then begin narrowing the roller width step by step, sending the noodle though once on each setting, through the second thinnest setting. (Thinnest setting for spaghetti) Place on a lightly floured baking sheet and cover with another towel.
• Repeat with the remaining pieces, slightly flouring in between noodles as you stack them. If the noodles are longer than your baking sheet, cut them in half with a pastry cutter.
• Allow the noodles to sit for 10 minutes before cutting them. It usually takes me longer than 10 minutes to roll the noodles, so I flip the noodles over and start cutting the first one rolled.
• Your sheets of noodles should no longer be tacky, and should process through the cutter without sticking. If the noodles are still sticky, you may want to flour them a bit before putting them through your cutter.
• Place noodles through desired cutter and lay on baking sheet to dry for 10-20 minutes before cooking. Dust each batch with a tiny bit of flour and separate them with your fingers to ensure they don't clump.
• Place in boiling, salted water and cook until they float to the top; 5 minutes or until your desired tenderness.

PERFECT MULTI-PURPOSE PASTA DOUGH

Steps:

• Place the flour on the surface you plan on using. Make a well in the flour.
• Into the well, put the salt and oil and carefully break the eggs into it as well. Very carefully, without spilling it over the sides of the flour, begin beating the eggs with a fork, gradually adding flour from the sides as you go.
• When the eggs in the middle have become a little less runny, put the water in the well as well. (Once again, dont spill over the sides of the flour -- you'll have a big mess) Continue to gradually mix in the flour until the mixture in the middle is about the consistency of cake batter.
• Lose the fork and begin to mixx the flour into the wet dough (your hands are going to get sticky -- don't worry, this will go away in a bit).
• Knead the dough for about 5-7 minutes until it's smooth and elastic. All of the flour that was on your surface should be in the dough. Once all of your flour is incorporated and your dough is the right consistency, leave the dough for about 20 minutes. (NOTE: you cannot skip this. If you are in a hurry, tough cookies. Skipping this step and not letting the dough rest makes the pasta terrible.).
• When you come back to the dough, break it off in sections and roll and cut to the desired width and length. Enjoy!