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1
Pour the flour on a clean surface and make a deep well large enough to hold two eggs.
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2
Add the eggs to the well (it may spill over, try to minimise this).
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3
Beat the eggs and the flour together from the inside out.
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4
When the eggs are mixed into the flour enough for them not to run use your hands to mix the remaining flour into the dough.
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5
At some point no more flour will be absorbed - this is fine.
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6
Place the dough on a clean piece of work surface and scrape the worksurface clean.
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7
Keep the flour remnants and sieve them back onto the worksurface.
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8
Knead the dough for 5-8 minutes.
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9
Use the flour to stop any stickiness on the dough but don't add so much that it gets dry.
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10
When the dough is very smooth and elastic it is ready.
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11
Wrap it in cling-film and leave at room temperature for 30 minutes to 2 hours.
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12
When the pasta dough has rested, cut it into four and work with one piece at a time, keep the rest of the dough wrapped in the clingfilm while waiting.
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13
With your hand, roughly flatten the piece of dough into a circle and feed it through the pasta machine on the thickest setting.
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14
Reduce the setting by one and pass through again.
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15
Do this once more.
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16
NB During this process you may need to sprinkle the pasta with flour to stop it sticking.
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17
Fold the pasta into thirds and flatten with your fingers.
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18
Return the machine to its widest setting.
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19
Feed the pasta through with the unfolded end first.
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20
Repeat this folding and stretching process 5 or 6 times.
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21
Feed the dough through again and gradually reduce the setting.
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22
The pasta is probably thin enough at the next to last thinnest.
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23
If making stuffed pasta do so immediately, otherwise lay the pasta on a clean dry tea-towel for 15-25 minutes to dry out enough to be easily cut to the required shape.
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24
The pasta should be cooked in rapidly boiling salted water in about 2 minutes (no oil!
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25
).
