Fresh Pasta Recipe

In the world of fresh pasta recipes, there are hundreds of different ways to make even the most basic type of pasta. No one will disagree that the two essential ingredients are eggs and flour, but all the other ingredients are highly subjective, depending on which chef you talk to. Some like to add salt, some like to use olive oil, others like to use water instead. Some advise adding an extra egg yolk... The list goes on.

If you're looking for a basic fresh pasta recipe, you'll find it here. This recipe is one of the most basic and traditional recipes for fresh pasta and requires only a few ingredients.

Fresh Pasta Recipe

Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 egg, beaten
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp water, if needed

Directions

Begin by heaping your flour onto a flat work surface. Make a well in the centre and crack your egg into it, adding the salt as well. Mix the ingredients together with a fork and then knead into dough. If it seems too dry, add a little water and continue kneading. Only add more water if the dough still seems dry. After you have kneaded the dough for a few minutes, it should be smooth and silky. At this point, shape it into a ball and wrap it with a tea towel. Let it rest for 15 minutes.

The next step is to flatten the dough. If you have a pasta machine, it'll make the job a lot easier. Simply use it to flatten your dough and cut it to the desired shape. If you don't have a pasta machine, or want to make it the old fashioned way, you'll have to use a rolling pin. Roll it out as flat as possible. Allow the sheets of pasta to dry on your surface for 40 minutes. After drying, roll the sheets into 3 inch long rolls. Keep the rolls small, at around an inch in diameter. Use a sharp knife to cut the roll into the desired shapes. Open up the rolls and either cook them right away or lay them out to dry further if you're using them later.

To cook the pasta, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and then drop in the pasta. It should only take a minute or two to cook. They are ready when they are floating. Drain them and serve with your choice of sauce.

Note: You can use this fresh pasta recipe to make tortellini, ravioli or any type of filled pasta as well. It can serve as the base for any type of pasta, as it is quite versatile.