carefully monitoring the shape, until you have a smooth, thin sheet
of pasta dough that you can cut and shape into tagliatelle,
garganelli, or, as in the next recipe, tortellini. Just make sure that
your pasta machine clamps well to your counter: it makes the
entire job much easier.
2 cups double-zero flour from Italy (see Resources, plus
more, as necessary
2 eggs plus 2 egg yolks (plus more, as necessary; have at
least 4 ready to go)
Place the flour in a large bowl and make a well in the middle. Add
the eggs and yolks and beat them together, at first, with a fork.
Slowly work in the flour from around the well and then switch to
your hands, pulling bits of dough from the fork tongs and working
the dough with your fingers, pinching and kneading, as it comes
together. If it doesn’t come together (and chances are it won’t),
add another yolk and continue to work it, collecting everything at
the bottom of the bowl. Continue adding yolks and working until
the dough comes together into a sticky ball. If the ball is dry and
crumbly, add another yolk and work that in: you want a wetter
dough. (Don’t worry if it’s not homogeneous; it’ll get kneaded
together in the pasta machine.)
When you have a ball of dough, remove it to a sheet of plastic
wrap, sprinkle it lightly with flour, and cover it tightly, allowing it
to rest for 20 to 30 minutes at room temperature.
Set up the pasta machine by clamping it to a counter. (If you