THE word pasta conjures up images of Italy, but it’s said that pasta actually goes back to the Etruscans who were active around 400 BC.
It is believed that they used to prepare the first lasagne made of spelt which is a cereal-like wheat, but far more resistant against bad weather and diseases.
Over the years pasta has evolved into a great number of shapes and varieties. The names of some of the shapes vary according to area, and sometimes the same name applies in different areas to different shapes.

 
Homemade Pasta
Ingredients
550g Italian “0” pasta flour or plain flour
¼ teaspoon sea salt
4 free range eggs
6 egg yolks
2 tablespoons olive oil
Method:
To make the pasta, put the flour, salt, eggs, egg yolks and olive oil into a food processor and whiz until the mixture comes together to form coarse crumbs.
Tip this into a bowl and gather into a ball with your hands. Turn on to a lightly floured surface and knead well until the pasta dough is smooth and soft, but not sticky.
Wrap in cling film and leave to rest for 30 minutes or so.
Take a piece of dough about the size of a kiwi fruit; keep the rest well wrapped to stop it drying out. Flatten the piece of dough to a rectangle, about 5mm thick. With the pasta machine set to its thickest setting, feed the dough through two or three times. Adjust the setting by one notch and repeat. Continue in this way, narrowing the setting by one notch each time.
The dough will get progressively smoother and more elastic. When you reach the thinnest setting, the pasta is ready to be cut, filled and shaped as required. Repeat with the remaining dough.
For ravioli or tortellini, simply cut out the required shapes from the pasta sheets.
For tagliatelli, allow the sheets to dry for 10 minutes before cutting then drape them over a clothes airer or the back of a clean chair.
Meanwhile fit the pasta machine with the tagliatelli cutters. Pass the dough sheet through the machine cutters, keeping the noodles separate as they emerge.
When the pasta sheet has passed through, lift the noodles on to a tray, twirling them into a nest as you do so.