Homemade Herbed Pasta

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 3 extra-large eggs
• 3 tbsp chopped finely chopped basil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp olive oil

Directions

• Mound the flour and salt in the center of a large wooden cutting board. Make a well in the middle of the flour.
• Using a fork, beat together basil and eggs. Pour the mixture in center of the well and begin to incorporate the flour starting with the inner rim of the well. As you incorporate the eggs, keep pushing the flour up to retain the well shape (do not worry if it looks messy). The dough will come together in a shaggy mass when about half of the flour is incorporated. Add olive oil it will make your dough very smooth.
• Start kneading the dough with both hands, primarily using the palms of your hands. Add more flour, in 1/2-cup increments, if the dough is too sticky. Once the dough is a cohesive mass, remove the dough from the board and scrape up any left over dry bits. Lightly flour the board and continue kneading for 3 more minutes. The dough should be elastic and a little sticky. Continue to knead for another 3 minutes, remembering to dust your board with flour when necessary. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and set aside for 20 minutes at room temperature.
• Roll it with a rolling pin to as thin as possible. (If I had pasta machine it would be more smooth as edges remain a lil fat) .
• Cut it in desired shape. I made thin strips. Don’t forget to put lot of flour while cutting or else it will be sticky and desired shape will not be achieved.
• Let the cut pasta rest for 15 minutes, post that dust the extra flour.
• Boil water and salt. Add pasta for 1 and half minutes; check if it’s perfect or else keep for 30 seconds more.
• Your homemade Herb pasta is ready. I served it with pesto sauce.

Note: Do not skip the kneading or resting portion of this recipe; they are essential for light pasta.