Hand-Cut Tagliatelle

Name: Hand-Cut Tagliatelle
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Ultimate Pasta
Ingredients: 1 batch egg pasta dough; semolina for dusting; to taste fine sea salt

25 minutes prep 35 minutes cook Serves 4

Hand-Cut Tagliatelle hails from the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, where the art of pasta-making is a treasured craft. The process begins on wooden boards, creating a tactile connection between cook and dough before any sauce graces its surface. Each strand is shaped with care, a culinary tradition passed down through generations, celebrated for its simplicity and elegance.

This pasta should embody both silkiness and a gentle bite, capturing the delicate balance between tender and firm. Lightly dusted with semolina, the tagliatelle carries a hint of earthiness, accentuated by a whisper of fine sea salt. Serve it simply, allowing the pasta to shine in its purest form.

Ingredients

1 batchegg pasta dough
semolinafor dusting
to tastefine sea salt

Method

Begin by placing your batch of egg pasta dough on a clean work surface. If the dough is not yet mixed, combine the flour, eggs or water, and a pinch of fine sea salt until a firm dough forms. The dough should hold together without being sticky.
Knead the dough by pressing it with the heel of your hand, folding it over, and turning it. Continue kneading until the dough is smooth and elastic, which should take about 8-10 minutes. Once kneaded, cover the dough with a bowl or wrap it in plastic wrap to rest for at least 30 minutes; this allows the gluten to relax, making it easier to roll out.
After resting, divide the dough into manageable pieces, about the size of a fist. Flatten one piece slightly with your hands, then use a rolling pin to roll it out. Dust your work surface and the dough with semolina flour to prevent sticking, rolling until the dough is about 1/16 inch thick.
Once rolled out, dust the surface of the dough lightly with more semolina. Fold the dough gently into thirds, like folding a letter, to make it easier to cut.
Using a sharp knife, cut the folded dough into strips about 1/4 inch wide for tagliatelle. Unfold each strip gently, ensuring they are well-coated with semolina to prevent sticking. You should see long, even strands of pasta.
If you plan to use the pasta immediately, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Otherwise, lay the cut tagliatelle on a clean kitchen towel in a single layer to dry. The pasta is ready to cook when the surface is no longer tacky to the touch.