Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Dough Base
- 300 g tipo 00 flour
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 egg yolk, room temperature
- 5 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 2 g fine sea salt
Nutrition (per serving)
Method
Measure the flour and pour it into a mound on a clean work surface. Use your fingers or the bottom of a bowl to create a wide, deep well in the center.
Crack the whole eggs and egg yolk directly into the well. Add the olive oil and fine sea salt to the eggs.
Using a fork, gently beat the eggs and liquids together without breaking the flour wall. Slowly begin incorporating flour from the inner rim of the well into the egg mixture.
Continue whisking as the mixture thickens into a paste. Once it is thick enough that it will not run off the table, use a bench scraper to fold the remaining flour over the center paste.
Use your hands to toss the shaggy mixture together, cutting the flour into the eggs with the bench scraper until a rough, dry dough begins to form.
Knead the dough vigorously for about 10 minutes. Push the dough forward with the heel of your hand, fold it over itself in half, give it a quarter turn, and repeat. Continue until the dough transforms from rough and shaggy to completely smooth and elastic.
Form the kneaded dough into a tight ball. Wrap it entirely in plastic wrap, ensuring no air is exposed to the surface, and let it rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before rolling and shaping.
Chef's Notes
- Weighing your ingredients, especially the eggs, is the secret to consistent pasta dough. Aim for roughly 1 part shelled egg to 2 parts flour by weight.
- Tipo 00 flour is milled extremely fine, which creates a silkier texture, but unbleached all-purpose flour works beautifully and provides excellent structural integrity.
- The resting phase is absolutely non-negotiable. It allows the flour particles to fully hydrate and the tight gluten network to relax, which prevents tearing and shrinking when running the dough through a pasta machine.
- When rolling out the dough later, always keep any portion you are not actively working with tightly covered. Fresh pasta dries out rapidly and forms a skin that will crack during shaping.
- As this base dough contains raw eggs, always practice strict food safety. Clean surfaces and hands thoroughly after prep, and ensure the final cut pasta is boiled to an internal temperature exceeding 74°C/165°F.
Storage
Refrigerator: 2 days — Wrap tightly in plastic wrap to prevent oxidation and drying
Freezer: 1 month — Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and place in a heavy-duty freezer bag
