Author Notes
It seems I've tried every egg this side of the Atlantic. And, it seems no matter how orange the yolk, my pasta never has that vibrant yellow color I get with the same whole-egg recipe on the other side of the pond. In a moment of desperation, I decided to make a small batch loaded with yolk just to see, and I am loving the result. The dough is glossy and leathery, dries in a flash, and has that gorgeous yellow color I've been missing. The cooked pasta has a nice bite, and this small batch is just enough for two. I like to serve them tossed in a quick olio, aglio e pepperoncino. —lisina
Ingredients
- For the Pasta
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1 cup
AP flour
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1
whole egg
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3
egg yolks
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1 pinch
salt
- For the Sauce
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3
cloves of garlic, minced
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1/4 cup
olive oil
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1 teaspoon
red pepper flakes
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lots of shaved parmigiano or grana
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fresh ground pepper to taste
Directions
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On a smooth clean workspace, pile up your flour and scoop out a well large enough for your eggs. Crack egg and add it and the extra yolks to the well, along with the salt.
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With a fork, gently whisk the eggs, slowly beginning to incorporate flour from the sides of the well. When mixture in the well is thick and pasty, fold in the remaining flour, and begin to knead it into a ball.
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Knead the dough for about 15 minutes. It seems like a lot, but this is a very dry dough and it needs to be mixed well. When the dough is very uniform, very smooth and very glossy, wrap it in plastic and let it rest for about 20 minutes.
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Set up your pasta roller. Cut your ball of dough into two pieces. Run each piece through the machine on the widest setting. Fold each into thirds and run through on the widest setting again. Repeat this process three times.
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Continue running the dough through the machine, one time at each additional notch. I have a kitchen aid pasta roller, and i take these to setting number 6. You want them thin, to the point where they are JUST becoming transparent. Lay the pasta sheets out on tea towels. If your sheets are very long, cut them in half.
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When the sheets are no longer tacky, but still quite pliable, take one sheet at a time and fold them gently in half, and in half again, and again, until you are working with a roll about 3" wide (see photo). Cut along the roll, spacing each cut about 1/8" apart. Shake the noodles apart and return them to your tea towel to dry a bit more.
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Set a large pot of water on the stove to boil. Add oil, garlic and red pepper flakes to a large saute pan beside your pasta water. When the pasta water comes to a rolling boil, salt the water well, and turn on the heat below your saute pan, setting it to medium.
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When the garlic starts to sizzle in the oil, drop your pasta in the water and stir. Watch your garlic to make sure it doesn't burn. Lower the heat if necessary.
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When the pasta floats to the surface, it's ready. Using tongs or a strainer, transfer the pasta to the saute pan with the oil and garlic. Toss well. Sprinkle with cheese and a few cranks of fresh ground pepper. Serve immediately.
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Note: The tagliolini are great with any sauce where you would use spaghetti. The pasta base also works well cut into larger noodles like tagliatelle and pappardelle.
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