Fresh pasta dough

Instructions

1. 1

   Put the flour in a bowl and make a well in the centre. Crack in the egg and stir it in with a fork, moving outwards from the centre until all the flour is incorporated and the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Bring together with your hands and knead for 5-8 minutes until you have a smooth dough. If it's too dry and won’t come together, wet your hands to incorporate a tiny amount of water. It should be supple and slightly soft but not sticky. Wrap in a sandwich bag and chill for at least 30 minutes, ideally 1 hour.

2. 2

   If you don’t have a pasta machine, follow the instructions for pici overleaf to shape by hand. If you do have a pasta machine, roll out the dough. All machines are different so check the instructions. Essentially, you should roll it once through each setting, from thickest to thinnest. Try to keep it as straight as possible. I like to dust a little semolina over the rollers to prevent any sticking. If the pasta is getting a little unruly and losing its neat shape, fold it back into a smaller rectangle and start again on a thicker setting, then go back down through the thinner sizes. You should end up with a very thin, long rectangle of pasta ready for shaping. Have confidence – you are the boss!

3. 3

   Dust a large tray or work surface with semolina and lay your pasta sheet flat on top. Leave it, uncovered, for a few minutes, then gently turn it over and leave it for another few minutes. This is essential to keep the pasta from sticking. You’re now ready to cut, shape and cook it – find instructions overleaf.