How to Make Italian Homemade Pasta — The Exact Emilia-Romagna Recipe by Ratio

Overview

This video details the authentic Emilia-Romagna recipe for homemade Italian pasta, "pasta fatta in casa." Viewers will learn the precise ingredients, traditional techniques like "la fontana" and rolling "la sfoglia," and proper cooking methods to achieve perfect fresh egg pasta like tagliatelle.

Ingredients

• 400 gram Tipo 00 Italian wheat flour
• 4 large eggs, room temperature, deep orange yolk
• Pinch of fine salt

Instructions

1. Pour 400 grams of Tipo 00 flour onto a clean wooden pastry board.
2. With your fingertips, build a perfect circular well about 20 centimeters across with high walls in the center of the flour.
3. Crack all 4 eggs directly into the well and add a pinch of salt.
4. Using a sturdy fork, beat the eggs while keeping the flour walls intact, gradually pulling flour from the inside of the wall into the egg until a thick paste forms.
5. Use a bench scraper and your hands to fold the remaining flour in until a shaggy dough forms.
6. Knead the dough firmly on the board for 8 to 10 minutes until it is silky-smooth, elastic, and bounces back when poked.
7. Cover the dough with an upturned bowl and rest at room temperature for a minimum of 30 minutes.
8. Divide the rested dough into four equal pieces, keeping three covered under a bowl.
9. Dust the board with semolina and roll one piece of dough from the center out, rotating a quarter turn with every roll, until it is one millimeter thick.
10. Let the sfoglia drape on the board for 10 minutes to dry slightly.
11. Dust the sfoglia generously with semolina, fold it loosely in thirds, then slice perpendicular ribbons 8 millimeters wide for tagliatelle.
12. Unfold each slice into delicate nests on a semolina-dusted wooden board and let them dry, uncovered, for 10 to 15 minutes.
13. Bring 4 liters of water to a vigorous rolling boil (100°C/212°F) and add 60 grams of fine sea salt.
14. Drop the fresh pasta in, stir gently once, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until al dente.
15. Reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water before draining the pasta.

In this video

• Fresh egg pasta, or "la pasta all'uovo," originated in Italy's Emilia-Romagna region, known for its quality wheat, eggs, and butter.
• The traditional Emilia-Romagna recipe for pasta fatta in casa uses only 400 grams of Tipo 00 Italian wheat flour and 4 large, room-temperature eggs.
• Tipo 00 flour is preferred for its fine grind, soft wheat, and low protein content (around nine percent), making it ideal for delicate pasta.
• The "la fontana" technique involves pouring flour onto a clean wooden pastry board, forming a well, and gradually incorporating eggs and a pinch of salt.
• Knead the pasta dough firmly for eight to ten minutes until it is silky-smooth and elastic, then rest it at room temperature for at least thirty minutes.
• Roll the "sfoglia" (pasta sheet) using a wooden mattarello or pasta machine until it is one millimeter thick, thin enough to see your hand through.
• Dust the wooden board with semolina, not Tipo 00 flour, when rolling and cutting to prevent the fresh pasta from sticking.
• For tagliatelle, slice the folded sfoglia into ribbons exactly eight millimeters wide, then form delicate nests and dry for ten to fifteen minutes.
• Cook fresh egg pasta in vigorously boiling water with 15 grams of fine sea salt per liter, for a total of 60 grams in 4 liters, for only two to three minutes until al dente.
• Never break fresh pasta before cooking or rinse it after draining, as rinsing removes vital starches essential for sauce adhesion.

Frequently asked questions

What type of flour is best for making traditional Italian fresh egg pasta?

Tipo 00 Italian wheat flour is recommended for its fine grind, soft wheat, and low protein content, producing delicate pasta.

How many eggs are needed for the Emilia-Romagna fresh pasta recipe?

The traditional rule is one large, room-temperature egg for every 100 grams of Tipo 00 flour; this recipe calls for 4 eggs and 400 grams of flour.

What is the 'la fontana' technique in Italian pasta making?

La fontana involves creating a well with flour on a wooden board, cracking eggs into the center, and gradually incorporating the flour to form a dough.

How thick should fresh pasta dough be rolled?

The sfoglia should be rolled to a thickness of exactly one millimeter, so thin that you can see your hand through it.

How long does fresh egg pasta take to cook?

Fresh egg pasta cooks very quickly, typically in only two to three minutes, and should be tasted at ninety seconds to ensure an al dente texture.