Italians use soft wheat flour to make fresh pasta. We tested the recipe with soft wheat flour and all-purpose flour and tasted them side by side, and we much prefer the soft wheat version—it gives the pasta a silkier texture. Order Italian-style flour from www.kingarthurflour.com, or look for Italian 00 flour at gourmet or online stores. Use this dough to make Ravioli with Herbed Ricotta Filling.
Cooking Light MARCH 2009
1. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, salt, and eggs in a food processor; pulse 10 times or until mixture is crumbly (dough will not form a ball). Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic (about 4 minutes). Shape dough into a disc; wrap with plastic wrap. Let dough stand at room temperature for 20 minutes.
2. Unwrap dough. Divide dough into 8 equal portions. Working with 1 portion at a time (keep remaining dough covered to prevent drying), pass dough through pasta rollers of a pasta machine on the widest setting. Fold dough in half crosswise; fold in half again. Pass dough through rollers again. Move width gauge to next setting; pass pasta through rollers. Continue moving width gauge to narrower settings; pass dough through rollers once at each setting to form 8 (15 x 3–inch) pasta strips. Lay strips flat on a lightly floured surface; cover. Repeat procedure with remaining dough portions.
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