Homemade Pappardelle

Step 1

Start by making a mound of the flour directly on the countertop. Make a deep crater in the top and add the eggs, salt, and olive oil. Use a fork to break up the eggs without breaking through the walls of the mound. You want to try to keep the eggs contained, but don’t worry if they break through - use a spatula or bench scraper to scoop them back in.

Step 2

Work more and more flour into the eggs a bit at a time. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of cold water across the mixture and keep mixing until you’ve got a dough coming together. You can drizzle a bit more, a little at a time, as you go if you feel like your dough is too dry. It should look like the pictures up above, you want to avoid having a wet dough. I’ve found that a spray bottle is my favorite way to add water to pasta dough without adding too much. Use your hands to bring the dough together into a ball and knead for 7-10 minutes, until the dough is silky smooth and elastic.

Step 3

Form the dough into a ball and place in a plastic bag, alternately, wrap in plastic wrap. Allow to rest for 30 minutes at room temperature. Use Immediately, or refrigerate for up to a day. You might be able to get away with two days, but the dough will start to discolor.

Step 4

At this point either roll the pasta out thinly with a rolling pin or use a pasta machine (pictured above). There are more detailed instructions on how to do this on the homemade pasta page, if this is your first time making fresh pasta, a glance at that page will be helpful. I also talk through the details up above. I typically roll pappardelle out to the 5 or 6 setting on my Atlas If your dough was refrigerated, bring it to room temperature before rolling out.

Step 5

For pappardelle I like to roll out all my sheets of pasta first, then cut them into strips about 12-inches long by 1-inch thick. You can be as precise or care-free as you like. really. Transfer the cut pasta to a floured baking sheet, dust/rub the pasta with a bit of flour, and swirl into little nests. I usually do 6 pappardelle per nest.

Step 6

At this point you can cook the pasta immediately, dry it, refrigerate it, or freeze it.

Step 7

Heat the oven to 375F. Place the mushrooms on a large sheet pan, drizzle with the olive oil, and sprinkle with salt. Toss well and arrange the mushrooms in a single layer, or as close to it as you can get. Bake until the mushrooms touching the pan star to brown, and give it all a toss. Keep baking, tossing occasionally, until the mushrooms release any liquids, and brown and crisp - roughly, 25-35 minutes. Go by doneness, not by time. Remove from oven and set aside.

Step 8

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta for 2-3 minutes, or until tender. Drain, reserving 3/4 cup of the pasta water.

Step 9

In a large bowl, or in a skillet over medium heat combine the pappardelle, half of the reserved pasta water, Parmesan, lots of freshly ground black pepper, zest of the lemon, along with a big squeeze of lemon juice. Give it all a good toss, until the water absorbs, then decide if you want things a bit creamier. You can add more of the pasta water and toss again. Season with salt if needed.

Step 10

Serve on a platter topped with the mushrooms and more grated cheese. I like to add some crushed kale chips or chives if I have them. Enjoy immediately!