In his cookbook, Semplice, Dino Joannides says to pile 1kg of tipo 00 flour on a surface, make a well and crack in 10 eggs and beat with a fork. Using your hands, work in some of the flour from around the well until a dough forms, adding a little warm water if needed to bring it together. Knead for 10 minutes, keeping your hands lightly floured, until smooth and elastic. See the full recipe here.
Cut the dough in half and place one piece on a lightly floured surface. Using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll out the dough to the thickness required for the pasta shape you are making. As a general rule, long pasta should be 1-2 mm (like tagliatelle), while for stuffed pasta (like ravioli) it should be even thinner. The rolling is hard work because the dough is stiff, but it is well worth the effort. If you want long strips, such as pappardelle or spaghetti, or big rectangles, such as lasagne, fold the pasta sheet several times and cut the size you want using a knife. When unfolded, you will have multiple strips. If making smaller shapes, use a pastry cutter or the cutting implement from a pasta machine to produce the shape you need. For simple round shapes you could use a glass or cup.
Keep the pasta on floured wooden trays in a cool part of the kitchen for no more than 3 hours or so before cooking it. The trays can be stacked, and the top one should be covered with a cloth.
Cook the pasta in a pot of well-salted boiling water until al dente – this will take between one and five minutes depending on the thickness of the pasta.
