The Emilian rule of one egg to 100 grams of flour, kneaded by hand and rolled thin enough to read through. The simplest showcase for Italy’s whitest flour.
Untested: not yet made in this kitchen. It is here as the showcase for one flour in the Flour section and is adapted from the source named in the Notes.
Ingredients
- 3 cups (400 g) Tipo 00 flour, or unbleached all-purpose flour
- 4 large eggs
Directions
- Well. Mound the flour on a board and make a wide well in the centre.
- Eggs. Beat the eggs, pour them into the well, and draw the flour in from the inside wall with a fork until it is absorbed.
- Knead 10–20 minutes, pushing with the heel of the hand and pressing with the knuckles, until smooth and silky. If it is crumbly, sprinkle in a little lukewarm water; if wet, add flour a tablespoon at a time.
- Roll from the centre outward with quarter turns to ⅛ inch or thinner — traditionally, thin enough to read a newspaper through.
- Cut. Roll the sheet up loosely and cut strips for tagliatelle. Unroll and dry on a towel.
- Cook 1–2 minutes in heavily salted boiling water.
Notes
Source Adapted from “How to Make Fresh Egg Pasta Dough,” Eataly. The source’s proportion is one egg and ¾ cup (100 g) of flour per portion.
Why this flour Tipo 00 is Italy’s lowest-ash, whitest soft-wheat flour — not, as often said, its highest-protein one. Its fine, even texture lets an egg dough be rolled very thin. The source allows all-purpose flour as well, so 00 is a refinement here rather than a requirement.
Not in the source No salt, oil or resting time is given. Many cooks rest the dough, wrapped, before rolling; the source does not.
The Flour section of the Food site covers the history, the science, milling, label systems and every flour used here.
The photo The photograph shows fresh egg pasta being cut into ribbons by hand; which flour was used is not known.