Step 1: Prepare the egg pasta dough

1. Place the flour on a clean working surface, create a well in the middle, and then add the eggs to the well.
2. Start by beating the eggs with a fork or spoon in the center, and then slowly start to incorporate the flour into the egg mixture until you have a very rough (‘scraggly’ as I call it) dough.
3. While kneading the dough, it may initially feel like you need more water or flour but don’t add in anything yet – just keep working with it. If it continues to stick to your hand even when smoother-looking, you may need an extra spoonful of flour. If it’s still a bit crumbly, then add a spoonful of water.

Step 2: Rest the dough

1. Allow the dough to rest for 15 minutes, wrapped tightly with plastic wrap. Once rested, it should be soft and tender, and easy to work with.
2. Meanwhile, as it rests, you can prepare your tools for shaping the homemade pasta dough, including:
3. Extra flour to dust the surface, or use semolina (semola flour)

Step 3: Roll and shape the pasta dough.

1. Once it’s rested, divide the dough into 4 (these will be easier to work with). To shape the pasta, you’ll then be using one of three methods: using a rolling pin, a pasta machine, or a pasta extruder.

Using a pasta machine:

1. Once you’ve divided the dough, flour one piece (liberally) and roughly flatten it by hand, thick enough to fir the first setting of your pasta machine (usually ‘0’). Feed the pasta through the machine and then fold it like a letter (to fit inside an envelope- one side over the other) and repeat 3 more times.
2. Then pass the dough through each setting, slowly making it thinner until you reach your desired thickness.
3. If the dough starts to feel tacky at any point, then sprinkle a little more flour over it. You can then hand cut lasagna and any of the pasta varieties mentioned above. Alternatively, most pasta machines will also come with separate attachments for spaghetti and slightly wider (Fettucine) noodles.

How to cook fresh pasta If you’re wondering how long to cook egg noodles, it will depend on whether they are fresh, frozen, or dried. To cook fresh egg noodles:

1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil over medium-high heat, then add in the egg pasta and stir it immediately. This will help it to avoid sticking together.
2. Fresh pasta will cook faster than dried, so keep an eye on it. The exact time will depend on how thick it is and what type of pasta you’ve made (i.e., ravioli vs. noodles). However, it’s usually ready in less than 3 minutes!!
3. Strain the pasta – the leftover salted pasta water can be frozen to add to stocks, soups, and sauces.

Note that if you freeze or dry the pasta, then the cooking time will increase. Add an extra 1-2 minutes for frozen egg pasta and an extra 2-4 minutes for dried egg pasta.