Making Pasta from Scratch - Recipes by Chef Patrick Loineau, Chef, University of Notre Dame Test Kitchen.

If you haven't made pasta by hand you've missed out on a terrific taste sensation.  Fresh pasta just can't be beat.  And it's easier than you think.  All you need is a flat surface and a rolling pin or, if you prefer, a pasta machine.  Below are some of Chef Loineau's pasta recipes and the procedures he uses to prepare the dough.  Remember no two batches of flour are the same.  So after finishing the procedure with the quantities indicated you may need to adjust the dough by adding water to a dough that is too dry or flour to one that is too moist.

Basic Egg Pasta

Ingredients

14 oz. (3 2/3 cups) all purpose flour
7 oz. (1 3/4 cups) Semolina
5 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil 

1.       Combine flour and semolina on a large work surface in a mound.  

2.       Form a well in the mound and add the eggs, salt and oil.

3.       Begin mixing with the fingers of one hand while using the other hand to push flour from the edges of the well into the egg mixture.

4.       Continue mixing with one hand taking more and more flour from the interior of the well as you go and keeping the walls of the well intact with the other hand.  At one point, the dough will be intact enough to fold the well over the dough so that you can continue mixing.

5.       Form the dough into a ball and knead for 5 minutes or longer until the dough is smooth and feels silky.

6.       Transfer to a bowl, cover and refrigerate for one hour.

7.       Remove from the refrigerator and allow the dough to rest for about 15 minutes before rolling.

8.       To finish pasta by hand roll it out with a rolling pin until quite thin (1/16 inch.) Cut the dough as desired.

9.    To finish with a pasta machine, cut dough into quarters and form them into a rectangular shape that will fit in the pasta machine.  Lightly dust the dough with flour and roll it through the machine, starting at the thickest setting.  Then fold the dough once and roll it through the machine using the next thinner setting.  Repeat this process until the pasta is the right thickness.

Lemon Dill Pasta

Ingredients:

3 lemons

14 oz. (3 2/3 cups) all purpose flour

7 oz. (1 ¾) cups) semolina

2 tbsp dried dill

5 eggs lightly beaten

½ tsp salt

2 tsp extra virgin olive oil

Follow the procedure above adding the two additional ingredients to the well.

Spinach Pasta

Ingredients:

¾ lb fresh spinach

14 oz. (3 2/3 cups) all purpose flour

7 oz. (1 ¾ cups) semolina

4 large eggs lightly beaten

½ tsp salt

2 tsp extra virgin olive oil

Clean wash and blance spinach in boiling water for about 15 seconds or just until wilted.  Remove spinach from boiling water and plunge it into an ice water bath to stop the cooking.  Drain thoroughly, squeeze dry in a kitchen towel and then puree in a food processor.

Follow the instructions for basic egg pasta above adding the spinach to the mixture in the well.