Easy Homemade Pasta

I've been reminiscing lately about my trip to Italy this past year. The sights, the sounds, the food, the people. If you ever have the chance to go, go to Italy. I promise you won't regret it. Honestly, the food alone makes the trip completely worth it. I probably had pasta every other night that I was there. I was even fortunate to find a cooking class in Florence to learn how to make the homemade pasta (and tiramisu), which is my inspiration for this recipe.

The best thing about homemade pasta is that it uses two ingredients...TWO (well, and there's olive oil and salt for flavoring)! How easy is that? I guarantee that you will be making homemade pasta all the time for dinner now, at least when you have the time to. It really doesn't take too long though and it is so much better than the kind you buy at the store.

Since this recipe may sound a little complicated (I promise it's easy!) in the directions, I've posted photos of each of the steps for you to follow along. You'll be a master pasta maker in no time!

Start by placing the flour in a heap on a counter or other flat surface. With your hands, create a well in the middle of the flour pile.

Crack the eggs into the middle of the flour well. Add in olive oil and salt. Using a fork, carefully whisk the eggs and gradually add in the flour from the side. The mixture will start to have a sticky consistency. If it is still dry, feel free to add water until the mixture reaches the sticky consistency. Sprinkle flour on the counter and knead the dough with your hands for about 10 minutes or until the dough feels smooth to the touch. Once you are done kneading the dough, wrap in plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least 15 minutes.

After the dough has been left to rest in the fridge, it is now time to roll it out. Cut the dough into two even pieces and then take one piece and roll into a ball. Sprinkle flour on the counter and use a rolling pin to roll the dough as thinly as possible without it tearing.

Once the dough has reached the desired thickness, fold two of the opposite edges into the middle.

From there, fold the dough in half, right down the middle.

Cut the dough into strips using a sharp knife, width depending on how big you want your noodles to be.

Unfold the noodles (I also like to cut mine in half, just so they aren't super long). Repeat the process with the other piece of dough.

Boil the noodles in salt water for two minutes, drain in strainer and serve with a sauce of your choice.

(I forgot to take photos for some of these steps, oops! Hopefully you were still able to follow along.)