How to Make Pappardelle by Hand (Traditional Method)

Make a flour well. Pour flour and salt onto a clean work surface, mound it, and dig a wide well in the middle with your fingers.

Add the eggs and oil. Crack eggs into the well, add the olive oil, and beat gently with a fork, slowly pulling flour in from the inner wall.

Bring the dough together. Once the eggs have absorbed most of the flour, use your hands to gather everything into a shaggy ball.

Knead for 8–10 minutes. Push the dough away with the heel of your hand, fold it back, turn a quarter turn, repeat. The dough should become smooth, supple, and silky.

Rest the dough. Wrap tightly in plastic and rest for at least 30 minutes at room temperature (or overnight in the fridge). This relaxes the gluten.

Cut into 2 portions. Keep the portion you're not working with covered so it doesn't dry out.

Roll it out. On a lightly floured surface, roll one piece into a large thin rectangle — as thin as you can get it without tearing (about 1/16 inch). You should almost be able to see your hand through it.

Flour and fold. Dust the rolled sheet lightly with flour and loosely roll it up like a jelly roll.

Cut the pappardelle. Slice the roll into ribbons about ½ inch wide with a sharp knife.

Unfurl the nests. Gently lift and separate the ribbons, tossing with a little extra flour so they don't stick, and arrange in loose nests on a floured sheet tray.

Repeat with remaining dough.