Learn the Basics of Homemade Pasta

Flour and Salt Mix: In a large bowl, use a fork to combine the flour and salt.

Crack the eggs into a deep well you've made in the center of the flour. Using a fork, thoroughly combine the eggs.

Although you can do this "Italian Grandmother Style" on the counter top, I find it much less cumbersome and messy to do it in a bowl. See below for food processor usage details.

Mixing the Flour and Eggs: While whisking the eggs, slowly start bringing in flour from the bottom and sides of the bowl. Please take your time with this. There will be a slurry-like appearance to the eggs at first. A very soft dough will begin to form once enough flour has been added. The fact that you haven't used all the flour is not a problem.

Pasta dough should be kneaded by dumping it and any extra flour onto a clean work surface. Fold the dough in half, then in half again, and repeat. The initial state will be very pliable, but it will gradually harden. After the dough has cooled enough to handle, you can knead it. Make sure the dough doesn't stick to you or the counter by adding more flour as needed. Using a paring knife, cut into the dough to check for air bubbles; if there are many, the dough still needs more work. When the dough forms a smooth, elastic ball with very few air bubbles when cut, you know it's ready to be kneaded.

Pasta dough resting time entails washing and drying the mixing bowl. Cover it with a plate or plastic wrap and place the dough ball inside. Take a break of at least 30 minutes.

The pasta dough can be stored in the fridge for up to 24 hours at this point. Hold off on rolling it until it reaches room temperature.

To portion the pasta dough, lightly flour a baking sheet and invert the dough ball onto the floured surface (the dough will be sticky and you may need to loosen it from the bowl with a spatula or bowl scraper). Cut the dough in half, then each half in half again. Sprinkle flour over the servings and wrap in a clean kitchen towel.

Keep everything well-floured so the pasta doesn't stick to itself or the roller as you roll it out. Add more flour while rolling if the dough becomes too sticky to handle. Pasta that is not being rolled, cut, or otherwise worked on should be dusted with flour and kept covered with a dish towel.

To get started making pasta, adjust the thickness setting on your pasta machine to "1." Roll a chunk of dough out between your palms and run it through a pasta roller to make a thick disk. Say again, maybe twice You can make a letter by folding this piece of dough in thirds and pressing it again between your hands. Feed the pasta crosswise between the rollers while keeping the pasta machine on its widest setting (illustration below). Put it back through the grinder another time or two until it's completely smooth. Feel free to fold this section again if you so choose. Incorporating this step makes the flour's gluten stronger, which in turn makes the finished product chewier.

Reduce the thickness of the pasta by gradually decreasing the roller's settings. Don't skip settings (the pasta will snag and warp if you do) and roll the pasta twice or three times at each setting. Pasta can be cut in half if it grows too long to be handled easily. Pasta can be rolled as thin as you like. To make linguine and fettuccine, I usually set the KitchenAid attachment to 6 or 7; when making angel hair or stuffed pastas, I use a thinner setting.

Pasta is made by slicing a long log of dough into noodle-sized pieces, typically about 12 inches long. Get on with the shaping if you're making stuffed pasta or lasagna. If you want to make noodles, you can use a special noodle cutter instead of the pasta roller. To prevent them from sticking together, toss the noodles in flour and then arrange them in a loose basket. While you roll out and cut the remaining dough, place this basket on the floured baking sheet and cover it with a towel.

To save time, I like to roll out all the pasta at once and then cut it into noodles. Pasta sheets are floured and laid out in a double layer on a floured baking sheet and then covered with a towel to prevent them from drying out.

Pasta can be cooked fresh, dried, or frozen; to cook fresh pasta, bring a large pot of water to a boil, then add salt and cook the pasta for 4 to 5 minutes, or until al dente. Pasta can be air dried by laying it out flat over a clothes rack, coat hangers, or the back of a chair. To keep for a while, seal the container airtight. Either lay the long noodles out flat on a baking sheet or make a basket out of them and freeze them until solid. Put in a freezer-safe bag and use within three months. Dry or frozen noodles may need an additional minute or two in the water.