Simple Fresh Pasta

After my whole wheat pasta endeavor this weekend, I wanted to make a quick fresh pasta that would be more cooperative for my weeknight persona.  I can get behind the benefits of healthier whole wheat pasta, but after a long day of work, I want the dough to do what I want the dough to do.  Whole wheat dough tends to be more fussy in my experience.  So here's a simple weeknight pasta dough that is silky, satisfying and won't cause you grief.

     Recipe
1 cup cake flour (not self rising)
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 egg yolks
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 warm water


1. Combine the ingredients and gradually add the water until the dough comes together without becoming sticky. Depending on the humidity, you may need more or less water.  Once the dough forms a ball, knead for 8-10 minutes. Wrap in plastic wrap and let sit for 30 min.


2. Break the dough into 3 balls.  Put the first ball on the lowest setting of your pasta machine (or if you only have a rolling pin, roll up your sleeves and get rolling). Slowly work the dough through the settings until it is very thin, this is an 8 out of 9 on my machine.

























3. Once the dough is a thin sheet, cut the pasta to your desired shape.

Note: fresh pasta cooks very quickly. It is 2-3 minutes in vigorously boiling salted water. For stuffed pastas, once they float to the surface, they are done.

Depending on what you're using the dough for, the thickness will vary.  I made this dough for a dinner I'm having tomorrow with friends. It's time consuming to make stuffed pasta (I'm teaching a friend to make tortellini) so I've cut the pasta rounds in advance so we aren't eating dinner at 11pm.  After cutting I placed them on parchment paper on a cookie sheet then covered the whole thing in plastic wrap to keep the dough moist. That way we can focus on the filling and sauce.