Posted by sherry on November 12, 2001 at 12:38:08:
In Reply to: Noodles posted by Shirley on November 11, 2001 at 16:59:30:
Basic Egg Pasta (about 1 lb)
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
2 lg eggs
2 tsp olive oil
2 tsp water
The classic way to mix the dough is to put the flour on the counter,
make a well in the center for the egg and liquid(s), then gently
mix in the flour and knead it until it forms a smooth, pliable
ball. A much easier way is to do this step in a food processor.
It can also be mixed in a bread machine. Now, comes the making of
the noodles. You can take a rolling pin and a piece of the dough
and roll it out to the desired thinness. Then cut with a pastry
cutter or roll loosely and cut with a knife to the desired width.
If you have an Atlas-style pasta machine, you need only process or
knead the dough until it forms a nice ball, as the kneading is
completed by rolling the dough through the machine.
To use an Atlas, divide dough into portion (at least 4). Select
one piece and flatten it with your hand (cover the others with
plastic wrap). Set the rollers on the machine at thier WIDEST
setting. Run the dough through. Fold the dough over in thirds and
run through again. Continue doing this until the dough is very
smooth and somewhat elastic. (You may need to dust with flour during
this process.) Then reduce the setting to the next smaller and run
the dough through. Continue to rudure the setting until the dough
is the desired thickness. Dust with flour and let dry for a few
minutes.
Run the sheet of dough though the cutter head for either wide or
narrow noodles. Can be kept at room temperature for a couple of
hours to dry slightly before using. For longer storage, wrap in
plastic and refrigerate or freeze. Remember that (a) fresh pasta
cooks faster than the dry store-bought and (b) the thinner the
noodles are the faster they will cook. Iaf You make the narrow
noodles from the thinnest setting, they can cook in as little as
30 seconds after hitting the boiling water.