Prada
How to Make Pasta
Feature: Long Read
Words by Emilie Dock
Once you make fresh pasta, you’ll never look back. It may some time to perfect and you’ll no doubt cover the kitchen in flour in the process, but that’s half the fun. And once you've tasted fettuccini so silky you could wear it as a scarf, the dried stuff simply won’t cut it. The effort truly is worth it. Plus, it’s easily one of the most impressive dishes to serve at a dinner party.
So, are you ready to become a sfogliano? (That’s Italian for pasta maker). We turned to head chef Roberta d’Elia from Pasta Evangelists for a basic dough recipe and tips on how to make pasta for beginners.
Photography by Issy Croker
Chef Roberta learned to make pasta on a farm in Puglia, where – in heart-warming Italian fashion – she was raised in a family of 30, beneath a hundred olive trees. Her first taste of pasta? “Italians start eating pasta when they’re about one year old,” she tells us. “But I do remember deciding early on that orecchiette (meaning ‘little ears’) with 'cime de rapa' (turnip tops), a typical Pugliese dish, was my favourite!” Today, she’s head chef at Pasta Evangelists, which delivers fresh, restaurant-quality pasta to your door. You can also try it at Harrods, both at the Food to Go counter in the Fresh Market Hall and in their restaurant in the Dining Hall.
Discover & Book Pasta EvangelistsOn where to begin
“I would suggest a simple, long pasta like tagliatelle or pappardelle. Or farfalle (which look like little butterflies) – it’s great for beginners and kids love it!”
Chef Roberta learned to make pasta on a farm in Puglia, where – in heart-warming Italian fashion – she was raised in a family of 30, beneath a hundred olive trees. Her first taste of pasta? “Italians start eating pasta when they’re about one year old,” she tells us. “But I do remember deciding early on that orecchiette (meaning ‘little ears’) with 'cime de rapa' (turnip tops), a typical Pugliese dish, was my favourite!” Today, she’s head chef at Pasta Evangelists, which delivers fresh, restaurant-quality pasta to your door. You can also try it at Harrods, both at the Food to Go counter in the Fresh Market Hall and in their restaurant in the Dining Hall.
Discover & Book Pasta EvangelistsOn the main types of pasta dough and when to you use them
“Pasta bianca is a typical dough from southern Italy, made with Semola di Grano Duro and warm water. It’s perfect for shapes like orecchiette, trofie and spaghetti. Pasta all'uovo is an egg dough from northern Italy, especially the region of Emilia-Romagna. It is rich in colour and flavour, and perfect for making tagliatelle and filled pasta like tortelloni.
On cooking perfect pasta
“There are a couple of simple rules: you need to ensure the cooking water is at a rolling boil before you add the salt or pasta. I add 10g salt for every litre of water, or 5g if using dry pasta; and 100g pasta must be cooked in 1 litre of water. Your pasta needs space to cook perfectly and to achieve the best al dente consistency. Finally… never waste olive oil in the cooking water!”
On when to use dried pasta instead of fresh
“Some traditional recipes are made only with dry pasta. This is due to the preparation. When it cooks, dry pasta releases lots of starch, which makes the dish creamy without using any cream! I would suggest using dried pasta bianca to make a deliciously creamy carbonara.”
On common mistakes when making pasta
“The most common mistake I see is adding salt or olive oil to the dough. Fresh egg pasta is made only with 00 flour and egg – and you should use 1 egg for every 100g flour.”
The Pasta Evangelists’ Egg Pasta Dough Recipe
Serves: 4
Prep time: 60 mins
Cooking time: 10 mins
Ingredients
400g ‘00’ flour (plus more for work surface)
4 large eggs
Method
Making the dough
1. On a clean marble or wooden work surface, pile the flour into a mound.
2. Make a well in the centre of the mound large enough for all your eggs
3. Crack the eggs into the well.
4. Beat the egg mixture with the fork, slowly pulling the flour from the sides of the well until the egg has all been absorbed by the flour. As the mixture thickens, start using your hands to continue incorporating the flour. If your dough looks dry, add a drop or two of warm water and continue mixing with your hands until you have a ball of dough.
Kneading the dough
1. Clean the work surface of any excess flour or dough bits that weren’t incorporated, then lightly flour your clean work surface.
2. Knead the dough by pressing the heel of one hand into the ball, keeping your fingers high.
Press down on the dough while pushing it firmly away from you. The dough should stretch and roll under your hand to create a shell-like shape.
3. Turn the dough over, then press into the dough with your knuckles, one hand at a time. Repeat this process around 10 times.
4. Form your dough back into a ball and repeat the stretching and knuckling process, using more flour if needed to prevent any stickiness.
5. Repeat the process for about 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and silky.
6. Roll the dough into a smooth ball.
Letting the dough rest
1. Place the dough in a small bowl and cover with a cloth or plastic wrap.
2. Let the dough rest for at least 1 hour at room temperature or up to 1 day in the refrigerator.
3. If the dough has been refrigerated, let it stand at room temperature for at least 1 hour before rolling and shaping.
Rolling the pasta
1. Lightly flour your surface.
2. Shape the dough into a rough circle.
3. With a rolling pin, begin rolling the dough as you would with a pastry crust, starting in the centre and rolling away from you to the outer edge.
4. Turn the dough a quarter-turn, and repeat, working your way around, until the sheet of dough is 1/8 inch thin or less. Scatter a small amount of flour on the dough whenever it starts to stick to the surface or the rolling pin. You now have your sheet of fresh pasta dough.
On the best tools for making pasta
“There is no better tool than your hands when it comes to specific pasta shapes like trofie, orecchiette and strozzapreti. Shapes like this aren’t achievable with tools. But when it comes to the pasta machines, Marcato make the best ones.”
On how to make gluten-free and vegan pasta
“Delicious vegan pasta is easy! You simply make a pasta bianca using semola (semola rimacinata is my favourite) and water. Gluten-free is a little more challenging but it’s possible: I normally use good-quality gluten-free flour from Italy, a sprinkle of xanthan gum, and some egg or water depending on your preference.
On Roberta’s go-to pasta dish for a dinner party.
Have you tried our spicy lobster spaghettoni at our Harrods restaurant? Mamma mia, this is my choice of pasta for a dinner party!
On how to stop your dough from sticking when rolling
“Always keep a handful of semola to one side; this type of flour is perfect for preventing the dough from sticking to the rolling pin or hands.”
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