Egg Yolk Pasta Dough
Egg Yolk Pasta Dough
Makes: 1 pound of dough
Active Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Level of Difficulty: Medium
Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups 00 or all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
½ teaspoon kosher salt
12 large eggs
Steps:
In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the flour and salt and mix to combine. Create a well in the center, add in the egg yolks, and stir over a medium-low speed with the paddle attachment until a dough forms. Transfer to the dough hook attachment and continue to knead for 5-6 minutes over medium speed, until a soft dough forms that springs back to the touch and is uniform in color. If the dough looks too dry, add a teaspoon of water. If the dough looks too wet, add a teaspoon of flour.
Remove the dough from the bowl and form into a ball. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and sit at room temperature for 20-30 minutes, or in the refrigerator until ready to use. If refrigerated, remove from the refrigerator 20-30 minutes before use to get the dough back to room temperature.
When ready to use, prepare a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and dusted with flour. Set aside. Unwrap the dough and using a bench scraper or sharp knife cut the dough into quarters. Take one piece of dough, covering the others back up with plastic wrap or a damp towel until ready to use, and flatten the dough with a rolling pin or the palm of your hand into an oval that matches the thickness of the widest setting on the pasta roller attachment. Using the pasta roller attachment set to the widest setting, roll out the dough. Fold the dough like a letter, bringing the two narrower ends into the center of the dough, flip 180 degrees and roll the dough through the widest setting again (note: this layering process helps develop the gluten, creating a dough that is uniform in texture and color). The goal is to create a sheet of pasta that is wide enough to fit the width of the pasta attachment.
Continue to roll out the dough, twice through each setting, lighting flouring the top of the dough as needed, getting thinner and thinner, until you can see the outline of your hand under the dough, about a 6 or 7 setting.
Trim the rounded ends of the sheet of dough with a bench scraper or sharp knife, dust with additional flour as needed, and cut each sheet into 11-13-inch long pieces. Change the roller attachment to the fettuccine attachment and cut the dough into noodles. Dust the dough with additional flour to prevent sticking, delicately form into a nested bundle, and set on the prepared baking sheet until ready to use. Repeat steps 3-5 until all dough has been used.
To cook, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, season heavily with salt and stir to dissolve the salt. Add the pasta and cook, 1-2 minutes until al-dente, transfer the pasta directly into a pan with your sauce (reserving 1 cup of pasta water for later use) and cook, adding additional pasta water a ladle at a time, until the sauce coats and sticks to the pasta. Transfer to a plate and enjoy!
