amber, see if this one is too confusing:
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 beaten eggs
1/3 cup water
1 teaspoon olive oil or cooking oil
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
Method:
In a large mixing bowl stir together the 2 cups flour and the salt. Make a well in the center of the mixture.
In a small mixing bowl stir together the eggs, water, and olive oil or cooking oil. Add to the flour mixture and mix well.
Sprinkle kneading surface with the 1/3 cup flour. (Spinach, whole-wheat, and tomato variations may not require the addition of any or all of this flour.) Turn dough out onto floured surface. Knead till dough is smooth and elastic (8 to 10 minutes total). Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.
Divide dough into fourths. On a lightly floured surface, roll each fourth into a 12-inch square about 1/16 inch thick. Let stand about 20 minutes, or till slightly dry. Or, if using a pasta machine, pass each fourth of dough through machine, according to manufacturer's directions, till 1/16 inch thick. Shape or stuff as desired, or as directed in recipe.
To dry ribbons, hang pasta from a pasta drying rack or clothes hanger, or toss with flour, shape into loose bundles, and place on a floured baking sheet. Let dry overnight or till completely dry. Place in an airtight container and refrigerate up to 3 days. Or, dry the pasta at least 1 hour. Seal it in a freezer bag or container. Freeze for up to 8 months.
VARIATIONS:
For Herb Pasta, prepare pasta as directed, except add 1 teaspoon dried basil, marjoram, or sage, crushed, to flour mixture. For Spinach Pasta, prepare pasta as directed, except decrease the water to 3 tablespoons and add 2 1/2-oz (75 g) very finely chopped cooked spinach, well drained, to the egg mixture.
For Whole-Wheat Pasta, prepare pasta as directed, except substitute whole-wheat flour for the all-purpose flour. For Tomato Pasta, prepare pasta as directed, except substitute tomato paste for the water.
Makes 4 Portions Pasta
The dough can also be made in a food processor, a mixer with a dough hook or even a bread machine. This much dough makes four modest servings. You can make proportionately larger batches, but don’t want to wear yourself out on your first effort.
Once the dough has been made, cut it into six parts, flatten each section, and begin running them through the widest setting of your pasta machine. Fold each piece in thirds after each pass through the machine at this setting, and roll them several times, until they are very smooth. Then set the rollers one notch closer together and roll each strip of dough through them once. Continue to move the rollers closer together and roll the pasta through until your reach the thickness you desire. We find the next-to-last setting on our machine to be thin enough — the thinnest setting produces sheets of pasta that are hard to cut. After each rolling, lay the dough on clean towels, and don’t let the edges overlap, or they may stick together. Once you’ve finished rolling the strips, let them rest on the towels for 10 minutes or so to dry, turning them once or twice. Now you’re ready to use the cutting blades of your pasta machine.
The only problem you may run into in the entire pasta-making process is trying to cut the dough before it’s sufficiently dry or after it has dried too much. In the first case, the strands stick together, and need a bit more drying. In the second case, it is hard to feed the pasta into the cutting rollers and the edges may crack. If it’s on the dry side, we cut the end with a knife so that it is straight and feeds into the machine more easily. A hint of water may also be necessary to get it started in the cutter, but the best solution is not to let it get too dry. Once the pasta is cut, lay the noodles on the towels until you’re ready to cook them.
The only consideration in cooking is to remember that fresh pasta cooks much, much faster than dried. As soon as it floats to the top of your boiling water, it’s done.