Pasta fresca de «huevo»

Ingredientes

• 2 cups semolina flour
• 1/2 cup water, plus more as needed
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground turmeric (optional; for color)

Preparación

1. 1

   Add the semolina flour to a bowl, make a well in the center, and pour in the ½ cup water, olive oil, salt, and turmeric (if using).

2. 2

   Stir with a fork until it begins to come together into a rough mass of dough.

3. 3

   Use your hands to knead it a bit in the bowl to form a crumbly, stiff ball of dough that hangs together.

4. 4

   Add water 1 teaspoon at a time (or even use a spray bottle full of water to mist the dough) until the dough just comes together (you want to add as little water as possible to achieve a stiff, low-hydration dough).

5. 5

   Cut the dough in half (it’s easier to knead half at a time).

6. 6

   Cover one half with a damp kitchen towel and knead the remaining half for about 8 minutes, until it feels elastic and a bit smoother under your palm and it’s holding together well (if it seems to be sticking to your work surface, sprinkle it with a little semolina flour).

7. 7

   Press the dough into a disk and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap.

8. 8

   Repeat with the other half of the dough and let both halves rest in the refrigerator for at least 45 minutes and up to 2 hours. (Any longer than that and the dough relaxes too much.)

9. 9

   Now the dough is ready to use (or freeze for long- term storage).

10. 10

    Keep one half of the dough covered with the plastic wrap while you shape the other half.

11. 11

    Use a rolling pin to flatten the dough into a rectangle thin enough to feed through your pasta machine on the thickest setting.

12. 12

    Sprinkle it with a little semolina flour to keep it from sticking when you cut it, then roll it through the pasta machine on each progressively thinner setting until you reach the desired thickness for what you want to do with it.

13. 13

    Unfortunately, pasta machine settings are not standard. For filled pasta shapes, roll it to one of the thinnest settings. For noodles, such as hand-cut pappardelle, you’ll want it thicker, somewhere in the middle of the settings.

14. 14

    Whether you’re making sheets, noodles, or other shapes, cook the pasta in a large pot of salted water for 3 to 6 minutes (taste for doneness or check online for cooking time guidance on a specific shape).