Seven Yolk Pasta

I decided it was time to make pasta again. This time I tried a new recipe which worked out a lot better than the last one. I added a little bit of whole wheat flour in so I felt like it was a little bit healthier.

This was the first time I have ever beaten eggs but hand. You're supposed to whip the eggs with your fingers in a circular motion while slowly incorporating flour through the sides of the well.

The picture above was taken after I kneaded the dough for fifteen minutes. FIFTEEN MINUTES!

Maybe I should invest in an actual pasta rack, but I think hanging them across some random wire rack from the cabinet works just as fine. *Note: It is much wiser to let these dry hanging over a rack only and not letting the pasta touch any other surface.

Seven Yolk Pasta Dough
Recipe from Smitten Kitchen

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour (or 1 cup all purpose, 3/4 cup whole wheat)
6 egg yolks
1 whole egg
1 1/2 teaspoon olive oil
1 tablespoon milk

Make a well with the flour. Make sure it's big enough to hold all of the yolks well enough to spin them.

Pour egg yolks, whole egg, olive oil, and milk into the well. Slowly break up the egg yolks with your finger and begin spinning the yolk mixture by turning your hand in a circular motion. Slowly start incorporating the flour in your spinning motion. After a little while, once your yolk mixture looks whisked, add more flouring by using your other hand to scrap a little bit in at a time.

When the mixture gets too thick to work with just your fingers, scrap in the remaining dough and start using both of your hands. After the dough is incorporated it will still look a little shaggy. Bring all of it into your hands and begin forming it into a ball.

Knead the dough by pressing it with the heels of your hands rather than turning it over on itself. Reform the dough into a ball and knead by pressing it with the heels of your hands again. Repeat this process until you have a nice dough ball, about 7 minutes. The dough ball should be moist but not sticky. Let the dough rest while you clean your work surface.

Dust your work surface lightly with flour. Begin kneading your dough like before, by pushing it forward with the heels of your hands, reforming it into a ball, and pushing it back out. This step will take 10-15 minutes. You want the dough to be moist. You should be able to poke it with your finger and it will look like it wants to pop back in place when it's finished. Trust me, it'll take the full 15 minutes. Don't try to rush it!

Once you've finished kneading, double wrap the dough in plastic wrap so it doesn't dry out. Let sit for 30 minutes and then roll out on your work surface. Once rolled out, cut dough into five seperate pieces, and then roll each piece out even more so you have a very thin layer of pasta. The thinner the better!

Use a pizza cutter to cut dough into desired thickness and length. Let hang dry on a wire rack for about two hours, until the dough is dry and brittle.

Cook in lightly salted boiling water for five minutes, or until desired consistancy.

Store in an airtight container for up to four days or put in the freezer.