Ingredients
3 ¼ cups (400 grams) all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon (2 grams) salt
4 large eggs, room temperature
Water, as needed
Step by step
Measure flour and salt into KitchenAid® Stand Mixer bowl. Stir to combine and make a well in center of flour mixture and add 4 eggs. Stir with a spatula to combine until shaggy.
Attach bowl to stand mixer with dough hook accessory. Turn to speed 2 and knead for 5 minutes. Dough should completely clean sides and base of bowl. If ingredients are not fully incorporated after 3 minutes, add 1 tablespoon of water and let knead for another minute. Repeat addition of water and kneading until all ingredients are incorporated.
After kneading, remove dough to lightly floured surface and knead by hand to form a smooth ball. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes. After rest, divide dough into four equal portions. Cover three portions and knead remaining portion into a rectangle about ½ inch thick.
Attach 3-in-1 Pasta Roller Attachment or Pasta Roller Attachment to stand mixer hub and turn mixer speed to 4. Select thickness setting 1 and feed dough through three times. Fold dough into thirds and feed through 3 more times. Repeat until dough is supple and sides are smooth. Turn thickness setting to 2 and feed dough through once. Continue to increase thickness setting to desired thickness for the pasta you want to cut.
If using Pasta Roller, remove roller from hub and attach desired Pasta Cutter Attachment and turn mixer to speed 4. If using 3-in-1 Pasta Attachment, continue on speed 4. Flour both sides of the dough and feed dough through cutter. Sprinkle pasta with flour and set aside while you continue rolling and cutting for remaining portions. Boil pasta in salted water for 5-8 minutes, longer for thicker pasta. Drain and serve as desired.
Pasta dough can be frozen before or after rolling/cutting. If using frozen cut pasta, no need to thaw before boiling.
Procedures in detail
Pasta Making Procedure
Place clean, empty stand mixer bowl on scale
Zero scale
Add 400 grams all purpose flour
Add 2 grams salt
Combine with fork
Make a well in middle of flour
Crack 4 eggs into well
Use fork to combine eggs and flour until shaggy
Attach bowl to stand mixer base
Knead dough on speed 2 for 2 min
At two minutes assess dough for texture, if dough is sticking to base of bowl add 1 Tbsp flour and knead another minute
If dough is not forming into a cohesive smooth ball because it is too dry add 1 Tbsp water and knead for another minute
Assess texture and add another Tbsp flour or water if needed
Dough should be in one ball and not sticking to base of bowl
Continue kneading for total of 5 minutes
When texture is achieved remove dough to lightly floured surface
Knead by hand to form into a ball and lightly dust with flour and wrap with plastic wrap
Rest for 30 minutes at room temperature
Dough can also be refrigerated at this point and used at later time. If refrigerated allow to come to room temperature for 1 hour before proceeding to rolling steps
After thirty minutes, use a knife to divide dough into 4 equal portions. Cover three portions with the plastic wrap and shape one portion into a rectangle about ½ inch (¾cm) thick
Use flour to prevent sticking if needed
Proceed to rolling steps
Note any wrinkling
Note any doubling of strands
Note any tearing
Note any sticking
Note any shaggy edges
Rolling Pasta Dough Procedure
Lightly flour portion of pasta dough that is shaped into rectangle about 1/2-inch/3/4 cm thickness
Attach pasta rolling attachment to stand mixer hub
Turn stand mixer to speed four
Set pasta rolling attachment to thickness setting 1
Feed pasta dough through pasta roller once
On lightly floured surface, fold pasta sheet into thirds to make smooth side edges
Press together
Feed dough through pasta roller setting 1 three more timesa.
Take thickness measurement with digital calipers at setting 1 here
Change to thickness setting 2 and feed through once. Lightly flour dough sheet to prevent sticking if needed
Change to thickness setting 3 and feed through once. Lightly flour dough sheet to prevent sticking if needed
Change to thickness setting 4 and feed through once. Lightly flour dough sheet to prevent sticking if needed
Stop here for fettuccine (thickness 4-5)
Take thickness measurement with digital calipers at setting 4 here
Change to thickness setting 5 and feed through once. Lightly flour dough sheet to prevent sticking if needed
Stop here for spaghetti (thickness 5-6)
Change to thickness setting 6 and feed through once. Lightly flour dough sheet to prevent sticking if needed
Change to thickness setting 7 and feed through once. Lightly flour dough sheet to prevent sticking if needed
Change to thickness setting 8 and feed through once. Lightly flour dough sheet to prevent sticking if needed
Take thickness measurement with digital calipers here
Note any wrinkling
Note any doubling of strands
Note any tearing
Note any sticking
Note any shaggy edges
Pasta Cutting Procedure
Select pasta cutter desired
Attach pasta cutter to stand mixer hub
Turn mixer to speed 4
Take prepared pasta sheet from steps above and lightly flour both sides
Feed pasta sheet through cutter, catching the pasta strands as they come through
Lay flat or drape over a pasta drying rack
Take measurements of pasta width using digital calipers
Note any sticking or doubling of noodles
Note any sticking to attachment
Note any shaggy edges
Note any bunching or wrinkling of strands
Tools
Stand mixer
Stand mixer bowl
Dough hook accessory
Scale
Fork
Knife
Plastic Wrap
Extra flour for rolling/cutting
Pasta roller attachment
Pasta cutter attachment(s)