Fresh Pasta is Worth the Work & Wait

Fresh pasta is worth the work and the wait! My husband gave me a pasta machine for my birthday several months ago. We've made spaghetti and ravioli, improving our efficiency every time, but it still takes about two-three hours. This recipe is from the Pasta Bible published by Das Grosse Buch der Teiwaren, 1994.

Ingredients:
2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
3 eggs (room temperature for best results)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon water, if required

Directions:
Sift the flour onto the work surface in a mound and make a hollow in the middle. Break the eggs into the hollow. Add the olive oil and salt to the eggs. With a fork, first mix the ingredients in the hollow together and then start to mix the flour from the edge.

Gradually incorporate more of the flour until a viscous paste begins to form. Put the fork to one side and using both hands, heap the remaining flour from the outside over the paste in the middle. Work the flour into the paste. If the paste does not absorb all the flour, and if the ingredients cannot be easily worked, add a little water.

Work in the water with both thumbs, then press the dough into a ball and work the rest of the flour. Now the actual kneading begins. Push out the dough with the heels of the hands, then form it into a ball again. Repeat this kneading action until the dough has a firm but slightly elastic consistency and no longer changes shape when you remove your hands. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest about 1 hour.

Notes:
After the dough rests roll out to desired thickness. At this point you can use a ravioli cuter or chefs knife to cut dough. You can also roll through a pasta machine as seen in my photo above. If you're in the market for a spaghetti rack to dry your pasta I found mine at Williams-Sonoma.