Homemade Pasta: an everyday quick recipe

You might have wondered why I was posting about basic sauces earlier this week (or not, but I'll pretend you care). Along with my French butter chiller that I bought on the weekend, I also bought myself a manual pasta maker! I've wanted one for a while now and just haven't felt like spending the money on one. I found mine for $19 at Cayne's Housewares. This way if I don't like making my own pasta it won't be a waste of money. Needless to say, every meal this week has been pasta based!

This is a basic pasta recipe and can also be made if you don't have a pasta maker.

Ingredients & Preparation: (from The Naked Chef, Jamie Oliver)

Serves 4

• 1lb of bread flour (3 1/2 - 4 cups)
• 5 fresh, large eggs (preferably free-range organic)
• semolina flour for dusting

You can use either a food processor or an electric mixer for the first stage. I used my KA Mixer with the dough hook attachment so that is the process I am posting here.
Add the flour to the eggs and mix at a medium speed for 3 minutes or until a firm dough forms. Take the dough out of the mixer and finish kneading by hand or until the dough is smooth, silky and elastic. If the dough is sticky, add some more flour. If it is too crumbly, add some more egg. Don't ever add water or oil.
Form the dough into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and put it in the fridge for 1 hour.

Once your pasta has chilled in the fridge, remove it and cut it into 4 balls. Work with one at a time and keep the others covered. Flatten the dough with the palm of your hand and run the dough through the thickest setting on your machine. Do this 3-4 times. Change your setting to a thinner one and run the pasta through another few times. Make sure to use flour to stop any stickage. Yes, I know stickage is not a real word. ;) Roll the pasta through until it is 1-1.5mm thick.
Follow instructions above for the rest of the pasta until you have a bunch of fresh pasta. Depending on the pasta maker you have, you can make your pasta into all sorts of different noodle shapes. If it doesn't have a certain attachment, you can always cut your pasta by hand. Hang it to dry and then seal it in airtight containers if you want it for another time or use it right away.
I'll be posting 3 new pasta recipes so you can always attempt one of those!