Come si fa la pasta a mano

 Yesterday, my study abroad program went to a vineyard to learn how to make pasta by hand. The following is the recipe we learned, by rote, from the master pasta maker:

Ingredients:

200g of fine flour (00 flour is best)
2 eggs

Directions:

Pour nearly all of the flour in the center of a large wooden board. Save a little for flouring the board once the dough has been kneaded and must be rolled. Using your fingers, make a wide "bowl" in the center of the flour pile, about 8-10" in diameter. Be sure that your "bowl" is rimmed with flour, so that the eggs will stay in the center.
Crack the two eggs into the flour bowl and whisk with a fork, mixing air into the eggs as you whisk. Once the eggs are beaten, begin to whisk in the flour, creating larger circles centered around the eggs until it starts to form a paste. Once the mixture starts to thicken, use your fingers (not your palms, only your fingers!) to mix in the remaining flour. Our teacher advised us to touch the dough as if it were a child - don't be rough! Once the dough begins to form, knead it, using only your fingers. Be sure to turn and flip the dough while kneading, so it is well-mixed.

Once the pasta dough is smooth and homogeneous, wrap it in plastic and let it sit for 10-12 minutes. During that time, use a pastry knife or metal spatula to clean your board, being sure to remove all excess dough that did not get mixed in.
After the ten minutes, flour the board and begin rolling the dough out. Roll the dough by starting in the middle and pushing towards the outer edge. Rotate the dough in 45 degree angles and flip regularly, to ensure that it is rolled evenly. Use the rolling pin to pick up the dough - not your hands! This causes stress and the dough, and can lead to holes and uneven thickness.

Once the dough is rolled (it should look like a circle with a diameter of roughly 1.25 - 1.5 feet), fold it in half, making a crease at the fold. Unfold the dough, and, starting at one edge, gently fold the dough towards the center, making each fold approximately one inch wide. DO NOT CREASE! Turn the dough around 180 degrees and do this on the other half as well, so that the two folded sides meet at the crease in the middle. Cut the dough in half cross-wise. Taking one half, cut the pasta into pieces, each about .25 inches wide. After the dough is sliced, take your knife and slide it, sharp side first, under the pasta, stopping at the middle crease. Lift the knife up and rotate it 90 degrees, so that the pasta is hanging off of both sides of the knife. If your dough is stickier, it may take some gentle shaking of the knife for the pasta to unfold. Grab the pasta with your other hand and gently twist it into a circle, placing it on the board. Repeat this process with the remaining dough.


When cooking the pasta, place it into boiling water for 1-2 minutes. Top with ragù and serve al dente.