Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Dough Base
- 300 g tipo 00 flour
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 egg yolk, room temperature
- 5 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 2 g fine sea salt
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 350 kcal
- Protein
- 13 g
- Carbohydrates
- 58 g
- Fat
- 7 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
- Sugar
- 0 g
- Sodium
- 251 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 2 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 3 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 180 mg
- Potassium
- 136 mg
- Calcium
- 37 mg
- Iron
- 1.6 mg
- Magnesium
- 21 mg
- Phosphorus
- 170 mg
- Zinc
- 1.1 mg
- Vitamin A
- 74 mcg
- Vitamin D
- 0.9 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.7 mg
- Vitamin K
- 1 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.4 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.11 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.22 mg
- Niacin
- 1.0 mg
- Folate
- 43 mcg
- Water
- 39 g
Sources: USDA FoodData Central
Method
Measure the flour and pour it into a mound on a clean work surface. Use your fingers or the bottom of a bowl to create a wide, deep well in the center.
Crack the whole eggs and egg yolk directly into the well. Add the olive oil and fine sea salt to the eggs.
Using a fork, gently beat the eggs and liquids together without breaking the flour wall. Slowly begin incorporating flour from the inner rim of the well into the egg mixture.
Continue whisking as the mixture thickens into a paste. Once it is thick enough that it will not run off the table, use a bench scraper to fold the remaining flour over the center paste.
Use your hands to toss the shaggy mixture together, cutting the flour into the eggs with the bench scraper until a rough, dry dough begins to form.
Knead the dough vigorously for about 10 minutes. Push the dough forward with the heel of your hand, fold it over itself in half, give it a quarter turn, and repeat. Continue until the dough transforms from rough and shaggy to completely smooth and elastic.
Form the kneaded dough into a tight ball. Wrap it entirely in plastic wrap, ensuring no air is exposed to the surface, and let it rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before rolling and shaping.
Chef's Notes
- Weighing your ingredients, especially the eggs, is the secret to consistent pasta dough. Aim for roughly 1 part shelled egg to 2 parts flour by weight.
- Tipo 00 flour is milled extremely fine, which creates a silkier texture, but unbleached all-purpose flour works beautifully and provides excellent structural integrity.
- The resting phase is absolutely non-negotiable. It allows the flour particles to fully hydrate and the tight gluten network to relax, which prevents tearing and shrinking when running the dough through a pasta machine.
- When rolling out the dough later, always keep any portion you are not actively working with tightly covered. Fresh pasta dries out rapidly and forms a skin that will crack during shaping.
- As this base dough contains raw eggs, always practice strict food safety. Clean surfaces and hands thoroughly after prep, and ensure the final cut pasta is boiled to an internal temperature exceeding 74°C/165°F.
Storage
Refrigerator: 2 days — Wrap tightly in plastic wrap to prevent oxidation and drying
Freezer: 1 month — Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and place in a heavy-duty freezer bag
Troubleshooting
Dough is dry, crumbly, and refuses to form a cohesive ball
Cause: Low ambient humidity, high protein flour, or undersized eggs resulted in low hydration
Fix: Mist the dough lightly with water or add a few drops of olive oil and continue kneading until incorporated
Prevention: Weigh eggs to ensure accurate liquid-to-flour ratios
Dough is sticky and adheres heavily to hands and the work surface
Cause: High ambient humidity or extra-large eggs added too much moisture
Fix: Dust the dough and work surface lightly with flour, kneading until absorbed and no longer tacky
Prevention: Hold back 20g of the flour initially, adding it only if the dough needs it
Dough fights back, shrinks, or is extremely difficult to roll out
Cause: The gluten network is too tight and the dough was not rested sufficiently
Fix: Re-wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest for an additional 15 to 30 minutes at room temperature
Prevention: Always rest the dough for a minimum of 30 minutes after kneading
Cultural Context
Fresh egg pasta, known as pasta all uovo, is the cornerstone of Northern Italian cuisine, most notably in the Emilia-Romagna region. Historically rolled out entirely by hand with a massive wooden pin called a mattarello by skilled artisans known as sfogline, this rich, golden dough was traditionally reserved for Sundays, holidays, and special occasions.
