Fullfilling my pasta dream

In class on Thursday we made something that i practically came to culinary school to learn how to make! PASTA!!! it was pretty much everything i ever thought it would be. the only problem is you have to have a pasta machine to actually form it... have not fear, i'm already saving for one.
i'm going to give you the recipe so you too can enjoy the wonderment of pasta making. it's almost as good as having a baby.... well, almost. you work and work, feeding it through the pasta roller, getting smoother and thinner by the second and then all of the sudden... it's there. pasta, gliding out the other end of the pasta machine like magical ribbons. you swell with pride knowing that you just brought a new nest of linguine into the world.


Basic Egg Pasta
equivalent to 1# or dry pasta

3 cups all purpose flour, or cake flour
4 large eggs
1/2 tsp. salt

1. place the flour in a high mound on a work surface, (wood is best). make a well in the center.
2. crack the eggs into the well. add the salt. with a fork, ox together the eggs and salt only to not mix in the flour yet.
3.gradually start incorporating under the eggs to

keep the dough from sticking to the board.
4. continue adding more flour in this manner until you have a soft dough. remove the dough from the flour and set aside.
5. sift the remaining flour to get out any small lumps of dough. THROW THESE AWAY. don't try to incorporate them into your large ball, it will only make holes when you roll it out.
6. knead your dough in the "clean" flour until dough is no longer wet and sticky and is smooth and elastic. 10-15 min.
7. wrap dough well and let rest for at least 20 minutes before rolling.
8. coat VERY well in flour before putting it
through the pasta machine.
the rest is up to your creative self!

i went home and cooked mine, then tossed it in a homemade pesto with pinenuts, spicy red pepper, and basil. mmmmm mm.