Making the dough for fresh pasta used to take about 20 minutes. With the food processor, you can make fresh pasta dough in about one minute. For history buffs, here’s how to make fresh pasta dough the old-fashioned way:
Place 2-1/4 cups of flour in a pile on the counter.
Be sure to clean your counter first!
Hollow out the center of the pile.
You want the flour in the shape of a ring, sort of like the top of a volcano.
Crack 3 eggs into the center of the ring.
Add 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil and a pinch of salt to the eggs.
With a fork, slowly incorporate some of the flour into the eggs.
Begin with the inside wall of the flour, gradually working your way out. Don’t break through the wall of flour and let the eggs run all over the counter!
When you’ve worked enough flour into the eggs so that they won’t run away, work in the rest of the flour and then knead the dough.
Pasta dough must be very smooth and well kneaded, so work the dough by hand for at least 10 minutes. When the dough is as smooth as a baby’s bottom, you’re ready to roll.