Fresh Egg Pasta

1. Pulse flour in food processor to aerate. Add eggs and process until dough forms rough ball, about 30 seconds. (If dough resembles small pebbles, add water, 1⁄2 teaspoon at a time; if dough sticks to side of bowl, add flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, and process until dough forms rough ball.)
2. Turn out dough ball and any small bits onto counter and knead by hand until dough is smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside to relax for at least 15 minutes or up to 2 hours.
3. Cut dough into 5 even pieces and, using manual pasta machine, roll out dough into sheets. (Leave pasta in sheets for filled and hand-shaped pastas or cut into long strands to make fettuccine.)

FRESH HERB PASTA
Add 1⁄3 cup minced fresh herbs (parsley, basil, mint, or any combination) to flour along with eggs.

SPINACH PASTA
Decrease eggs to 2. Add 3 ounces frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed very dry, with eggs.

ROLLING OUT PASTA DOUGH
1. Run disk of pasta through rollers set to widest position.
2. Bring ends of dough toward middle and press down to seal.
3. Feed open side of pasta through rollers. Repeat steps 1 and 2.
4. Without folding again, run pasta through widest setting twice or until dough is smooth. If dough is at all sticky, lightly dust it with flour. Begin to roll pasta thinner by putting it through the machine repeatedly, narrowing setting each time.
5. Roll until dough is thin and satiny, dusting with flour if sticky. You should be able to see outline of your hand through pasta. Lay pasta on clean kitchen towel and cover it with damp cloth. Repeat with other pieces of dough.
6. To make fettuccine, run each sheet through wide cutter on pasta machine. Each noodle will measure 1⁄8 to 1⁄4 inch across.