Jamie Oliver's Pasta Dough

Sackville's Note:

Making pasta will never be as cheap as buying the dried stuff but it is a lot of fun and very satisfying to eat a plate that you've created from scratch. It tastes great too and kids love shaping the pasta!

• Total Time: 35 mins
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 5 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• 500 g strong white flour
• 3 large free range eggs
• 8 egg yolks

Directions:

1. Place the flour on a clean surface.
2. Make a well in the centre and add the eggs and yolks.
3. Use a fork to break up the eggs, then start bringing in the flour.
4. Stir with the fork until you have a dough which is easily workable with your hands.
5. Knead well until it becomes smooth, silky and elastic and the surface is clean.
6. Wrap the dough in cling film and let it rest in the fridge for a while.
7. When you are ready to shape the pasta, break the dough into four pieces.
8. Take one ball at a time, flatten it with your hand and run it through the thickest setting on your pasta machine.
9. Fold in half and repeat this several times.
10. Start narrowing down the settings, dusting the dough with flour each time you run it through, stopping when the sheet is 1-2mm thick.
11. You can also use a rolling pin but it will take longer than if you have a pasta machine.
12. When you have a thin sheet, shape as desired.
13. To cook, drop the pasta into boiling water and cook just until al dente-- no more than five minutes and perhaps as little as two minutes, depending on the thickness of the pasta.
14. Store any extra in the fridge for up to half a day or you can dry it and store in airtight containers.

Reviews

[Missy Wombat]

This works beautifully and it is very easy to make variations on the theme with herbs and different vegetables to give some colour to the pasta. Works well.