Homemade Pasta Dough

Ingredients:

4 cups all-purpose flour

4 whole eggs

1 egg yolk

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Salt, to taste

1 – 2 tbsp water, or more if needed

Directions:

In a large bowl, or on top of a clean counter dry work surface, place the flour.  Create a well (hole) in the center of the flour pile that is about 8 inches wide or larger.  Crack all of the eggs and the yolk into the hole; add the olive oil, salt, and water.  Using a fork beat the eggs together with the olive oil, water and salt; begin to incorporate the flour into the egg mixture.  Once the mixture is almost completely incorporated, use your hands to completely combine into a dough ball.  If the mixture is tight or dry, wet your hands or add additional water to the dough.  Next, begin kneading the dough; knead for about 10 to 15 minutes or until a smooth dough ball has formed.   Wrap dough ball in plastic wrap and allow to rest for 1 hour.  Refrigerate the dough if you do not intend to use it immediately.  Next roll, cut, and shape the dough into whatever form is desired! 

Fresh pasta takes much less time to cook than dried pasta.  Different shapes also require different cooking times.  From my own experience and research, this chart supplies the best and most accurate cooking times for perfectly al dente pasta: http://images.meredith.com/bhg/pdf/cookingfreshpasta.pdf.