I haven’t purchased string pasta in years. The taste, quality and health benefits of fresh pasta amply compensate for the effort it takes to make. Of course I rarely make pasta for more than 3-4 people and any more servings require exponential work so those feeding a family of 6 may feel differently. To properly build up the strength of the noodle, fresh pasta requires lots of kneading. I have tried saving time by kneading in a stand mixer but gave up because the density of the dough strained my mixer so much it smelled like burning and would often knock the bowl off the base. It also never gave my dough the consistency it needs. If you have a sturdy mixer and a lot of pasta to make it may be worth it to you but for 2-3 servings I prefer the hands on experience.
While dried box pasta has only one thing going for it, carbs, fresh pasta has the protein of eggs and whatever additional benefit you want to add to it. I have substituted up to ½ of the flour with whole wheat with good results but would discourage from using any more since the wheat flour has less gluten to hold the strands together. Using whole wheat pastry flour for this proportion helps keep the noodles light and not grainy as whole wheat flour can effect. You may also use all white flour but then add a tablespoon or two of wheat germ or bran for that health element. Experimenting with different flours can result in different textures but remember that gluten gives the pasta its structure and too much substitution can defeat its purpose.
People do all types of fun things to pasta, from adding spices to vegetable purees, but I have found these problematic in smaller quantities. Recipes for spinach pasta have left my pasta too soft. You need to use a very tiny amount, no more than a tablespoon in order to maintain the density you need to hold it together, and why would you go to the trouble of cooking down and pureeing until completely smooth one tablespoon of food? To get something green? Seems rather pointless to me. Not to mention that is isn’t easy to puree one tablespoon of spinach in any device.
For the best texture and structure, pasta should include only three ingredients at these proportions per person:
2/3 c flour
1 egg
Pinch of salt
The Method
In a bowl, add the flour. Make a little well in the middle and crack egg(s) into it. Top egg with salt. With a fork, scramble the egg, incorporating flour from the sides of the well gradually until the egg and flour have become one. Turn out on a floured counter. You should have a stiff, shaggy dough you will feel compelled to add some liquid to but resist that temptation with kneading. It will come together. Knead for 5 minutes for one person, and add 4 minutes for each additional person, (so pasta for 2 kneads for 9 minutes, pasta for 3 kneads for 13 minutes, etc.) This is the most essential step. When I first started making pasta I would add a little milk to make it come together and knead it only until it did. My pasta often stuck together and broke on my fork. The most resilient pasta has no other liquid than egg. It makes it easy to cut and even store without sticking.
After kneading leave the ball on the counter, cover it with the bowl you mixed it in and let it sit for 30 minutes while you prepare the sauce. After 30 minutes the pasta is ready for cutting. Cut the ball into 4 manageable pieces to work with.
I personally love my pasta machine but did make pasta for years without it. For either method, first decide what kind of pasta you want to make since that dictates how thin you will work your dough. The thinnest setting on the machine (9) makes an almost translucent noodle, best for lasagna. (No need to pre-cook the noodles.) I use setting 8 for wide noodles like fettucine or pappardelle. 8 is also preferred for ravioli or tortellini since a thinner wrapping can bust open, spilling the filling, but you don’t want it too thick since these pastas involve pressing two sheets together to seal. 7 is good for thin noodles like spaghetti, linguini or angel hair.
When rolling out pasta by hand, some practice is needed before you can recognize these settings by sight. As a general rule, you want to roll out the dough on a well-floured surface until it is thin enough to see the shadow of your hand through. For your first time, when you think you’re done continue rolling for 5 more minutes just in case. I found that I always underestimated the time it would take when I first started.
To cut pasta by hand, liberally flour the top of the dough after rolling. Starting at the top, fold the dough down about 2-3 inches, then roll the folded dough down 2-3 inches, gradually moving towards you until you have one long 2-3 inch high roll of dough. (If you prefer shorter noodles you can cut the dough in half before folding.) Starting at one end, cut the roll in strips of desired thickness. Again, err on the finer rather than the thicker when first starting out. It will puff up in the water.
Once done slicing either by hand or assisted with the machine, toss all noodles with your hands like tossing a salad. The strands should unfurl if you used enough flour but if not, carefully unwrap them and toss with more flour. Spread the noodles out on the counter in a single layer to dry.
To cook, boil in salted water for 2-3 minutes depending on the thickness of the noodle and whether you are planning on cooking it in the sauce for a bit. I will usually boil the pasta for 2 minutes and then toss it with the sauce and let it cook in the sauce for a minute or 2.
For shapes, roll out the pasta thicker than you would for noodles. For tube pastas I have used a chopstick to roll the dough over, wetting the dough with a little water at the seam point. Remove the stick and then cut into desired lengths. You may need to pop open the ends again after cutting by squeezing the sides of the tube.
For stuffed pastas, spoon out a teaspoon or so of the filling at 2 – 3 inch intervals along each strip of the dough. Moisten the areas between the filling with water, then fold the dough over it in the shape dictated by what you are making, pressing in between the filled areas to seal. Using a pizza cutter or a knife, cut out the filled pasta to the desired shape. Stuffed pasta generally needs at least 5 minutes of cooking time.
What really matters: The proportion of flour to egg is important. At the beginning, less is more since too much flour will make it tough and hard to work with. At the end, during rolling and cutting, use flour liberally to avoid sticking.
What not to worry about: Some people get sensitive with an egg-based product sitting so long at room temperature before cooking. Rest assured the eggs will get a thorough cooking in the water.