Basic Fresh Pasta Dough

Combine the flour and egg in the mixing bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade.Process for a few minutes.The dough will look very granular,like yellow-colored,uncooked cream of wheat.Pinch the dough.It should stock together.If it does not stick,mix in a bit of oil or water. Form a ball with the dough and knead for a few minutes on a lightly floured board.It will become smooth and hard(much harder than bread dough).In a few minutes,the dough should look satiny and smooth.Wrap it in plastic and let rest for about 30 minutes. Then roll out the dough through a pasta roller or by hand.Sprinkle additional flour on the dough as needed to prevent sticking.The dough is quite forgiving and can be handled easily. When the rolled-out pasta sheet feels dry,not sticky,cut into noodles by hand or with the machine. If you have a pasta drying rack,hang the cut pasta on the rack.If not,wrap the noodles around your hand to form a nest and set it on a lightly floured board.Toss with flour on occasion to allow the pasta to dry evenly. Fresh pasta cooks quickly.Add it to boiling water and test a strand every 15 seconds until done. Sometimes,I vary this recipe by adding 1 1/2 tsp. of olive oil and up to 1 tbsp. of a flavoring ingredient,such as minced fresh herbs or garlic,tomato paste or pureed beets. Keeping the same proportions of 1 egg to 3/4 cup flour,the recipe can be multiplied as many times as needed.A 1 egg recipe will feed 1 or 2 people for a main course;a 2 egg recipe feeds 2 to 3.An average size food processor will handle a 3 egg recipe easily.If you need to make more,it is a good idea to make several batches.