Pasta Dough

You can mix the dough in a bowl or use a table surface. Place the flour on a flat surface; make a well in the centre Crack the eggs into the centre of the flour, add the salt, now gently using two fingers break up the eggs and draw the flour into the eggs taking care not to let the egg run out.

Work the flour into the eggs, add the water half way through the mixing process and work into the dough. Once the dough has formed, add and knead in the olive oil for 5 minutes. The dough should be firm, but not hard, if it’s too hard, it may need another teaspoon of water. Rub a little olive oil over the dough and rest in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes.

There is a debate around resting in the refrigerator, or outside, there is no right or wrong. But if you are not using the dough straight away, it should be refrigerated, because it contains raw egg. Flour your surface, roll out the dough to just under a finger thickness.

Divide the dough into four, work on one piece at a time. Lightly flour and flat surface and roll the pasta out into a rectangle.

Cut it into rectangles for lasagne or cannelloni, or cut it into strands for tagliatelle.

To cook, in a large saucepan with lots of water, bring it to the boil and add some salt and then add the pasta and cook for about 4 minutes or until al dente.