Plain egg pasta is elevated to new heights by adding fresh herbs to the dough. Inspired by Richard Olney's recipe in his stunning book "Provence the Beautiful Cookbook," the recipe offers endless variations depending on your choice of greens and herbs.
Wash and dry your fresh herbs. Basil, chives, spinach, arugula, green onion, baby salad greens, or any combination of fresh herbs/greens will work well.
Coarsely chop the herbs with kitchen shears or a knife. Place in a sturdy bowl and sprinkle with the coarse salt. Use a pestle, dowel or even the handle of a whisk to grind the salt and herbs together into a wet paste.
Add the flour and eggs to the bowl and mix well. Add water 1 tablespoon at a time until a rough dough forms and there's no dry flour in the bowl. The dough will be fairly stiff, and firmer than bread dough.
Turn the dough out onto your work surface and knead for 8 to 10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and springy. Wrap well in plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for 30 to 60 minutes. Note: you may also choose to do this in a stand mixer, or in your bread machine set on the dough cycle. If you use your bread machine, cancel the cycle after about 10 minutes of kneading, and remove the dough.
Following the instructions on your pasta machine, roll the dough to the desired thickness. Allow the sheets to dry for 15 to 20 minutes before cutting into strips. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil.
Cook the fresh pasta for 3 to 4 minutes, testing for doneness after 3 minutes. Drain the pasta and serve as desired. A simple dressing of melted butter and fresh Parmesan cheese is outstanding, and lets the flavors of the herbs shine through.
No King Arthur Perfect Pasta Blend on hand? You can use an equal amount of King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour instead.
