Create a mound of flour in a bowl or on a flat surface. In the center of the flour, create a well. Add your eggs to the center of the well. Using a fork, whisk the eggs together and slowly begin to bring in flour from the walls of the well. Once the dough becomes too thick to stir with the fork, begin using your hands to add the remaining flour until you have a ball of dough.

Place the ball of dough on a clean surface and wash your hands clean of any dry bits of dough. Begin to knead the dough by placing one hand on the dough closest to you, and using the palm of your other hand, push the dough on the surface away from you. This is stretching the dough. It is okay if the dough tears a little bit when you do this. Roll the farthest bit of dough back towards yourself, and repeat the process. Rotate the dough 90 degrees after every second stretch. Knead until the dough has a smooth touch when you run your finger over the surface, around 4-5 minutes. It should be smooth and pliable. If the dough seems too dry, knead in a sprinkling of water, and if it is too wet, add a bit of flour. You will get a feel for how the dough should be with practice.

Cover the dough with a bowl or wrap in saran wrap, and let rest for 4-5 minutes. This will “relax” the dough and make it easier to work with.

Divide the dough into four segments. Cover remaining dough until you are ready to use it (prevents it drying out). Flatten one segment of dough with the palm of your hand and pass it through your pasta machine at the widest setting. If one side of the dough is narrower then the other, fold that part of dough half way up, then pass the dough through the rollers on the same width, folded side going first. Continue doing this until you are happy with the shape of the dough (it will never be perfect), then start decreasing the space between the rollers, one step at a time. You want the dough to be a thickness of 1.5mm for tagliatelle/fettuccine and 2mm for spaghetti. We went with 1.5mm for angel hair sized pasta.

Once at the desired thickness, sprinkle some semolina flour on a clean surface and swipe both sides of the dough onto the flour. This will help the pasta from sticking to each other when it cooks. Next, cut the dough into strips by hand, or using a pasta roller. Catch the pasta with your hand as it passes through the roller so it doesn’t fold onto itself. Hang to dry or if using fairly soon, twist the noodles into a mound in some more semolina flour.

To cook, bring 4 liters of water to boil in a large pot. Heavily salt the water, then add your pasta and cook for 5 minutes, or until al dente. Drain, but never rinse your pasta, the starch is what helps the sauces stick to the pasta!