Pasta and Soup
There are two schools of thought when it comes to fettuccine in Rome. The first, and by far the most common, is the thick, toothsome variety you’ll find in classic trattorie, typically paired with Rigaglie di Pollo, Sugo di Involtini, or Sugo di Coda. These fettuccine are a far cry from the translucent, almost silky sheets of pasta you find in Emilia-Romagna. Roman-style fettuccine are at least twice as thick, and twice as filling.
Then there’s the outlier: the paper-thin fettuccine served at the dueling Alfredo restaurants in central Rome. Both lay claim to the invention of Fettuccine Alfredo, and both serve delicate and thin noodles that are more Emilian in style than Roman. The classic egg-based pasta dough in Italy calls for one egg per 3 ½ oz of flour. Whether you use the whole egg or just the yolk depends on who’s doing the kneading. Personally, I like the texture that comes from using the whole egg. There’s a certain bite and spring from the whites that I love. Plus, every time I separate eggs I tell myself I’ll use the leftover whites for something virtuous or meringue-y like Montblanc, and I never do. So in the spirit of texture and reducing waste, I’m a whole-egg kinda lady.
3 ingredients
Prep: 40 mins
Pour the flour (1 ¼ cups) and salt (½ tsp) into a medium bowl and use your fingers or a spoon to form a well in the center.
Crack the eggs (¾ cup) into the well and gently beat them together with a fork.
Working from the inside of the well to the edges, slowly incorporate the flour into the eggs until a shaggy dough forms.
Turn the dough out onto your work surface and knead until it is supple and glossy, about 10 minutes.
Form into 2 tight balls, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and set aside to hydrate the flour for 30 minutes.
Lightly dust your work surface with flour.
Unwrap one dough ball, place it on your work surface, and flatten it into a uniform disk.
Position your rolling pin at 9:00 and 3:00 o’clock and with firm, even pressure, roll away from you. Rotate the dough 90 degrees every 3 to 4 rolls.
If rolling the pasta with a machine, cut the dough into 4 to 6 equal pieces. Form each into a tight ball, then press into a flat disk. Starting with one piece and keeping the others covered, pass the dough through the machine on the widest setting twice. Continue passing the dough through the settings of your pasta machine until it is 1⁄16-inch thick. Lightly flour the pasta sheet with semolina and roll into a loose tube. Use a sharp knife to cut the pasta into 1⁄4-inch-thick strands. Unfurl the pasta, form the strands into a nest, and set aside on a lightly floured surface. Alternatively, pass the sheets through the fettuccine cutting setting on your machine. Repeat with the remaining dough. To make Tagliolini, follow the recipe here, then use a sharp knife to cut the pasta into 1⁄8-inch-thick strands. Fresh Maltagliati are misshapen pieces of pasta made from scraps of fresh dough—why waste those? It’s a common shape used in soups like Pasta e Ceci. Use a sharp knife to cut the pasta scraps into irregular pieces about the size of a postage stamp. No need to be precise here.
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