To mix the dough.
Make a heap of the flour on the worktop, with a hole in the middle (like a volcano). Pour the eggs in the hole, and start to mix. Just add some flour of the "mountain" to the "lava" of the eggs, and stir with your finger. Use one hand to mix the dough, use the other hand to keep the eggs from breaking through and running all over the table. You could use a bowl and a spoon or whisk for the mixing, but this way is much more fun. Check the consistency of your dough (not too moist or dry).Clean the worktop, and wash and dry your hands.
To knead the dough.
Now knead the dough for at least ten minutes. Use both hands, and not just your fingers, but also the ball of your hand. Fold, knead and twist the dough until you get a supple, slightly elastic ball. You can also throw the dough with force unto the worktop to make the dough even more elastic. Pack the dough in plastic foil and let it rest for thirty minutes.
To roll out the dough.
To make thin pasta sheets you can use a wooden, thin roller like a broomstick, but using a pasta machine is easier, 2 stainless steel adjustable rollers. There are models that come with cutting rollers to cut tagliolini and tagliatelle. Start with the rollers in their widest position. Take a piece of dough the size of an egg, keep the rest of the dough covered in plastic foil or between to plates. Pass the dough through the rollers. Fold in two or three, pass again, without changing the distance between the two rollers. This is still kneading. Then you start adjusting the rollers by one "knot", and feed the still thick sheet of dough through. This you do only once before adjusting the rollers again and again, until you have a sheet as thin as you want. But mind: the sheet of dough will only get longer when you pass it through the pasta machine, it will never get any wider. So take care that you start with a piece of dough that is as wide as the rollers are. When you are done rolling out your dough, swipe the pasta machine clean with some paper towels. NEVER use any water whatsoever, not even a damp cloth! The rollers will loose their smoothness and the dough will stick to them.
Cutting and drying the pasta.
When making fettucine or tagliatelle you have to let the sheets of pasta dough dry on a clean kitchen towel for fifteen minutes before cutting. If you don't, the strips are in danger of not separating properly. Guide the sheet through the cutting roll of the pasta machine, or roll the sheets loosely and cut with a sharp knife. Let the pasta rest for at least five more minutes before cooking. Drying pasta on a "mill" looks very professional, but it is only functional when you plan to cook the pasta shortly after. When you want to dry pasta to keep it for a longer period of time, it is best to let it dry in loosely formed "bird nests" on a tea towel. When tagliatelle dries on a mill you get long, hard sticks that easily break. You dry sheets of dough for lasagna on a flat surface on a tea towel.
Cooking the Pasta
Fresh pasta only needs a few seconds in boiling water! Bring plenty of water to the boil, add some salt. Add the pasta. As soon as the water is boiling again, count till ten, then drain the pasta immediately. A special pasta pan is not obligatory, but very handy in use. You lift the perforated insert out of the pan with the boiling water slowly and carefully and the pasta is drained already. When you want to reheat the pasta all you have to do is place the insert back in the still hot water for a second, and lift it out again. The pasta is hot again, without becoming overcooked. Take care that when you start boiling the pasta, the sauce and accompaniments are ready to serve.
