Follow the recipe for pasta dough and then use your pasta machine to stretch the dough and cut into different shapes.
http://casa-giardino.blogspot.com/2010/07/pasta-alla-chitarra.html
On the subject of semolina, when I make pasta with semolina flour, I like to use 1/2 all purpose flour and 1/2 semolina. I find that a pasta dough made with all semolina flour is quite stiff and hard to work with. For semolina pasta, the ratios I use is: 2 eggs, 1 cup semolina, 1 cup all purpose flour, and 1 tablespoon olive oil.
Interesting. I get semolina from a Greek store and it's a much finer grain than supermarket semolina, which is sometimes 'corn meal' type texture. They have several different blends--very fine to coarse. I do agree the standard semolina is too coarse.
My supermarket AP four is very soft (I live in the south and blends are different here). Too soft for substantial pasta for my taste (well, except chicken and dumplings). I think this is one of the finer points about regions and recipes and techs.
When a recipe or tech calls for "Flour" or "Semolina" regions and blends could be taken into consideration. (which is why northerners normally fail at making good biscuits, ;)
My approach is similar to pierino's but I use a ratio of 2 cups of flour to 3 eggs and I add 1 tablespoon olive oil and a generous pinch of salt. I've generally found that the amount of pasta I'm making is determined by the number of eggs I'm using. I know some folks use semolina, but I generally use AP but have used semolina at the end to coat the freshly made pasta as it dries. But don't forget to get rid of any excess flour before popping into the boiling water. I use a colander for this. If you dry it completely, it can keep on the shelf for a couple months and in the freezer for 6 months. Another tip to remember when cooking it is that it will roughly double in weight. Have fun with it! Making pasta is great fun!
I'm going to politely disagree with Sam1148 on the use of semolina flour, at least with egg. And I've made as many feet of pasta as there are miles on Hwy 101.
Basic ratio for a home cook is 2 cups all purpose flour (or 00 if you can find it), and two whole eggs. Make a "well" with the flour and break the eggs into it---don't do this over an open drawer ala Emeril Lagasse, if the well breaks you are screwed. You will need a fork and a bench knife aka dough scraper. Leave enough bench flour for your hands. Slowly work the inside of the well into your eggs. Stir it, don't beat it. The flour will absorb as much egg as it "wants". Push the rest to the side. Scrape up the mass and start working it with your hands. Fold it in quarter turns. When tender wrap it in plastic and let it rest for one half hour. Now you're ready to roll. Again using the bench knife form pieces the size of an egg and go to work.
If you just got one. Stay with the basic. Semolina flour and egg. (and salt).
IMHO, simpler is better as freshly made pasta is wonderful, and doesn't really need other additions. You don't need to use a stand mixer for the basic dough. Put a 'well' in the semolina, crack in an egg, fold in the outer edges to mix. then kneed it with the machine. In flattened balls on the highest setting..folding over again and again, turning down the setting of the rollers as you go.
The fancy stuff will come later. Learn the basic dough..and the feel of it and the working of the machine. You'll be fine.
The Seven-Yolk Pasta Dough adapted from the French Laundry Cookbook that Smitten Kitchen posted (http://smittenkitchen.com/2008/02/seven-yolk-pasta-dough/) is my go-to method/recipe. I've also had good luck with a variation on a recipe from Martha Stewart’s site that I use when I want to color it with beets or spinach, etc. (http://threepointskitchen.com/2010/11/28/797/)
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http://casa-giardino.blogspot.com/2010/07/pasta-alla-chitarra.html
My supermarket AP four is very soft (I live in the south and blends are different here). Too soft for substantial pasta for my taste (well, except chicken and dumplings). I think this is one of the finer points about regions and recipes and techs.
When a recipe or tech calls for "Flour" or "Semolina" regions and blends could be taken into consideration. (which is why northerners normally fail at making good biscuits, ;)
Basic ratio for a home cook is 2 cups all purpose flour (or 00 if you can find it), and two whole eggs. Make a "well" with the flour and break the eggs into it---don't do this over an open drawer ala Emeril Lagasse, if the well breaks you are screwed. You will need a fork and a bench knife aka dough scraper. Leave enough bench flour for your hands. Slowly work the inside of the well into your eggs. Stir it, don't beat it. The flour will absorb as much egg as it "wants". Push the rest to the side. Scrape up the mass and start working it with your hands. Fold it in quarter turns. When tender wrap it in plastic and let it rest for one half hour. Now you're ready to roll. Again using the bench knife form pieces the size of an egg and go to work.
IMHO, simpler is better as freshly made pasta is wonderful, and doesn't really need other additions. You don't need to use a stand mixer for the basic dough. Put a 'well' in the semolina, crack in an egg, fold in the outer edges to mix. then kneed it with the machine. In flattened balls on the highest setting..folding over again and again, turning down the setting of the rollers as you go.
The fancy stuff will come later. Learn the basic dough..and the feel of it and the working of the machine. You'll be fine.