Homemade Fresh Egg Tagliatelle Pasta

17/11/2023

Fresh egg pasta, especially tagliatelle, is one of the classics of Italian culinary tradition. Here is the recipe for making excellent homemade tagliatelle.

Ingredients

400 g of type 00 soft wheat flour
4 large eggs (about 220 g without the shell)

Preparation

Pour the flour in a mound onto a clean and dry work surface. Break the eggs in the center of the mound.
Using a fork, start to gently beat the eggs, gradually incorporating the flour from the edges of the mound.
When the mixture begins to thicken, set the fork aside and continue to knead with your hands until you obtain a smooth and elastic dough. If the dough is too dry, you can add a tablespoon of water; if it is too sticky, add a bit of flour.
Form the dough into a ball, wrap it in cling film, and let it rest at room temperature for about 30 minutes. This allows the gluten to relax and makes the pasta easier to roll out.
After resting, cut a piece of the dough and keep the rest covered to prevent it from drying out. Lightly flour the work surface and begin rolling out the pasta with a rolling pin (or use a pasta machine), trying to form an evenly thick rectangle until the desired thickness is reached (about 1-2 mm).
If using a rolling pin, once the dough is rolled out, gently roll up the sheet on itself and cut into strips about 5-7 mm wide using a sharp knife or a special pasta cutter. If using a machine, pass the rolled dough through the tagliatelle cutter.
Unroll the pasta strips and lightly flour the obtained tagliatelle to prevent sticking.
Let the tagliatelle dry for a few minutes on a clean cloth or on a special pasta drying rack before cooking them in plenty of boiling salted water for 2-3 minutes or until they float to the surface.

Homemade tagliatelle are perfect with a simple seasoning like meat sauce, a mushroom sauce, or with butter and sage. The combinations are endless!

Curiosity

Tagliatelle have a historical link with the city of Bologna, and it is said that their ideal thickness should be equivalent to 1/12,000 of the Asinelli Tower, one of the city’s symbols. This legend well represents the attention to detail that Italian cuisine dedicates to pasta.