Real, fresh pasta is noticeably better than the dried stuff, and flattening out your dough with a rolling pin is very doable, it just takes a little more commitment and sweat. I made pasta by hand for months before finally getting a pasta machine. All you should do is use a little more egg whites and oil to make it softer. This pasta reminds me of the adventures I used to have on long summer afternoons before responsibility stole my freedom. It brings back my sense of wonder with the world.

Serving size: 5-6

Prep: 2 1/2 hours

Cook: 2 minutes

Approx. cost: $4

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups of 00 flour. (If you do not have 00 flour just use white flour)

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 large egg yolks

2 whole large eggs

1 1/4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Get to cookin’:

1. Mix it: Throw all your dry ingredients together in a food processor and pulse it a couple times (alternatively, you can mix by hand). Add the eggs and oil, blending until it is well mixed. It should look like crumbles when you are done and will hold its form if you clump it together. Do not be afraid to add a little more oil or egg whites if it looks too dry.
2. Let rest: Pack all the dough together, wrap in plastic and let sit at room temperature for an hour. If you cut this short it will be harder to roll out. I prefer to make this on a sunny day so I can daydream while looking out of my window. When ready, the surface of the dough should be dotted with white bubbles.
3. Roll it, cut it: You need to get very hyped up for this next part, because it is a struggle, a beautiful mess, just like you. First, cut your dough into fourths. If you have a pasta machine, roll your dough through that bad boy a few times on one of the higher levels (I start with level 5). Once your dough is fairly flat, turn it down a couple notches and roll it through until it is a perfect rectangle. Noodling the pasta is a bit harder when rolling by hand, so I cut my dough into smaller pieces to make it easier when flattening. Once the dough is flat, fold it on top of itself a couple of times and then cut it into strips (they should be about a foot long). If it is too sticky when folding, add flour.
4. Boil: Bring a pot of water to a boil. Be sure to add lots of salt. It should be like the ocean in there. Roughly the amount of tears you have shed in the last couple months. Also, drop in about one tablespoon of olive oil. Now you can throw in your fettuccini. It only takes about a minute or two to cook, so have a strainer ready in your sink. It is a good idea to set aside about 1/4 cup of the pasta water for adding to your pasta sauce later. The starchiness in the water helps blend sauces with your noodles.
5. Toss in flavor: Fettuccine goes wonderfully with pesto, tomato sauce, alfredo sauce or just about any Italian seasoning. Personally, I prefer to use a pesto, topped with pine nuts and sliced cherry tomatoes, but you can use whatever makes you the happiest. I think simplicity is important when making fettuccine because you still want to be able to taste your noodles. At this point you should be tired, feel accomplished and hopefully in love with your new noodle-making capability.