There is something deeply meditative about making pasta by hand. The feel of the dough under your fingers, the rhythmic folding and rolling, the transformation of simple flour and eggs into something extraordinary.
Choosing Your Flour
At Gastronome, we use a blend of semolina and 00 flour. The semolina gives our pasta its golden color and firm bite, while the 00 flour contributes silkiness. The ratio is 60/40, but many chefs prefer different proportions.
Great pasta is not about following a recipe. It is about understanding the dough, respecting the ingredients, and being patient enough to let them tell you when they are ready.
The Rolling Technique
We roll all our pasta by hand using a traditional mattarello. The wood absorbs just enough moisture to create a slightly textured surface that holds sauce beautifully. Machine-rolled pasta, while consistent, cannot achieve this texture.
The key is to roll from the center outward, rotating a quarter turn after each pass. This ensures even thickness and a perfectly round sheet.