Joanne Weir Follow @ChefJoanneWeir

Saffron and Black Pepper Pasta Dough

Makes approximately 1 pound of dough.

Making homemade pasta- the easy way! from Joanne Weir on Vimeo.

Ingredients

3 cups "OO" flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon medium-grind black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon saffron threads
¼ teaspoon smoked pimenton
3 whole large eggs
2 egg yolks
All-purpose flour for dusting

Instructions

Combine the OO flour, salt, pepper, cayenne, saffron and pimenton and place on work surface. Beat the eggs and yolks in a small bowl. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Add the eggs into the well. Beat with a fork, bringing the flour in from all sides until the mixture thickens.

Use your hands to incorporate the rest of the egg into the flour mixture. Form into a ball but it should not be sticky.

Alternately this can be made in a food processor.

If you are making it in a food processor, combine the flour, salt, pepper, cayenne, saffron and pimento in the bowl to the food processor. Pulse a few times to combine. Whisk the whole eggs and egg yolks together. Add the eggs slowly to the dry ingredients only adding enough liquid so that the dough looks crumbly. Do not add so much liquid that the dough forms a ball. If the dough is wet, add more flour. If the dough is dry, add more water, a teaspoon at a time until the dough looks crumbly and holds together when pressed but doesn’t feel wet to the touch.

Wrap the dough in plastic wrap loosely and turn the packet over. Press the dough to make a thin ½-inch round. Let rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.

Using a hand crank or electric pasta machine, roll the pasta dough and cut into linguine.