Recipe: Homemade Fresh Pasta Sheets

FRESH PASTA SHEETS

"Making fresh pasta from scratch will change how you think about lasagna. Your noodles will be thinner and more delicate than the drled kind, soaking up the flavor of the sauce without becoming gummy or slippery, and retaining a satisfying eggy chew."



Makes 1 pound of dough (12 sheets; enough for 1 large lasagna or 2 smaller ones)

2 cups all-purpose flour (9 1/2 ounces), plus more for rolling
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt (preferably Diamond Crystal), plus more for boiling

Place the flour, eggs, olive oil, and salt in a food processor and pulse in 1-second intervals until the dough is moistened and comes together in small beads that resemble couscous. Don't let the dough form a ball.

Turn the dough out onto a work surface and knead (without adding flour) until smooth and elastic, 2 to 3 minutes (the dough will be almost too stiff to knead). Wrap the dough in plastic and set aside at room temperature to rest for 30 minutes or up to an hour (the dough will soften and be easy to work with after sitting).

Arrange several clean kitchen towels on a work surface and dust them lightly with flour. Cut the dough into quarters and cover 3 pieces with a damp towel. Flatten 1 piece of the dough and dust it lightly with flour. Roll the dough through a pasta machine, starting on the lowest (widest) selling. Fold the rolled dough into thirds like a letter, then roll it through again, feeding the open, less wide end (the side where you can see the fold) through the machine first. Repeat three times, then start to roll the dough using thinner settings, folding it and putting it through the same setting two times before progressing to the next thinner setting, and flouring the dough as needed to keep it from sticking. Work your way through to the second to last setting (#6 on most machines, or the thickness of two playing cards). The completely rolled sheet should measure 4- to 5-inches wide and 22 to 24-inches long.

Cut into three 8-inch sheets and place them on the floured kitchen towels. Repeat with the other 3 pieces of dough. Turn the sheets on the kitchen towels occasionally so they dry slightly. They should be pliable but a bit leathery.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Boil the pasta in 2 batches, cooking just until the pasta is tender and the color changes from deep yellow to pale yellow, about 1 minute. Remove the sheets, drain, and rinse briefly with cold water. Arrange the lasagna sheets on clean kitchen towels, pressing them slightly to flatten. Use immediately or keep covered at room temperature for up to an hour.

Used by permission to Recipelink.com from Clarkson Potter
Source: Lasagna: A Baked Pasta Cookbook by Anna Hezel and the Editors of Taste