Basic Pasta Dough

method:

• Place the flour in a food processor and pulse briefly. Add the eggs and olive oil and process for 2-4 minutes, until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
• Place the mixture on a lightly floured worktop and knead for one minute ─ it should be quite stiff and hard to knead. Wrap well in cling film and leave to rest in a cool place for one hour.
• Divide the dough into two equal pieces and use a rolling pin to roll each one out to about 5mm thick. Set your pasta machine to its widest setting then fold one piece of the rolled pasta in half and pass it through the machine. Refold and pass through seven times on the same setting, until you have a rectangular shape about 8cm x 18cm. Repeat with the other piece of rolled pasta.
• To roll the pasta ready for use, continue to pass each piece through your machine, decreasing the setting each time until the required thickness is reached.
• Once you have your basic pasta sheets ready, the possibilities are endless – from lasagne and cannelloni to spaghetti, ravioli and tagliatelle!