Dive into the true flavours of Italian tradition with this home-made fresh pasta, made with the prized Aurum Soft Wheat Flour Type 2. This flour, with its rich nutritional profile and rustic flavour, turns a simple dough into a memorable gastronomic experience. Fresh pasta is the beating heart of Italian cooking, a symbol of conviviality and of craft handed down from one generation to the next.
Aurum type 2 soft wheat flour, stone-milled so that the wheat germ and its nutritional properties are preserved, gives the pasta a decided character and an enveloping texture. This dish is the essence of simplicity turning into excellence, where every ingredient tells a story of place and passion. To explore the richness of Italian culinary tradition, visit Wikipedia on Italian cooking and discover the Slow Food presidia devoted to traditional flours.
Fresh pasta made with type 2 wholemeal flour is especially suited to the colder seasons, when the body wants nourishing, substantial food. Its rustic, faintly nutty flavour goes beautifully with simple dressings such as a meat ragù or a fresh tomato sauce, bringing out the honesty of the ingredients without overpowering them.
History and Origins
The tradition of fresh pasta in Italy is rooted in ancient Rome, where doughs similar to modern tagliatelle were already being made. It was in the Middle Ages, though, that fresh pasta spread through all the Italian regions, taking on different shapes and names from place to place. Type 2 soft wheat flour, with its intermediate degree of refining, is a return to origins, when flours were less refined and richer in nutrients.
In the Veneto, where Aurum flour is made, the tradition of fresh pasta is particularly alive. Specialities such as bigoli are still made here, a long, thick pasta traditionally pressed through a die. Using semi-wholemeal flours such as Aurum type 2 gives a pasta with an authentic flavour and a full-bodied texture, perfect for holding heartier sauces. Read more about the history of flour and its varieties.
Ingredients
- 400 g Aurum Soft Wheat Flour Type 2
- 4 medium eggs
- 1 tsp fine salt
- Durum wheat semolina, as needed, for the work surface
Method
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Step 1
Sift the Aurum type 2 flour onto the work surface, shaping it into a well with a good wide hollow in the middle. -
Step 2
Break the eggs into the centre of the well and add the salt. With a fork, start drawing in the flour from the outer walls towards the middle. -
Step 3
When the dough starts to come together, keep working it by hand for about 10 minutes, until you have a smooth, even ball. -
Step 4
Wrap the dough in cling film and leave it to rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. -
Step 5
Roll the dough out with a rolling pin or pasta machine to the thickness you want, dusting lightly with semolina so it does not stick. -
Step 6
Cut the pasta into your preferred shape: tagliatelle, pappardelle or maltagliati, as tradition has it. -
Step 7
Cook the pasta in plenty of salted water for 2–3 minutes if fresh, or for the time given for the shape you chose.
Wine and Beer Pairings
The reasoning is the same as for the type 1 sheet, with one degree more rusticity: type 2 keeps more bran, so the pasta has more grain flavour and a rougher weave that holds the sauce. The underlying rule stands — the egg and the buttery texture call for acidity — and from there you come down to the sauce.
The White We Recommend
Madre Manzoni Bianco Biologico Vintage 2022 — Italo Cescon — With pale dressings — butter and sage, vegetables, white ragù, fish sauces — Manzoni Bianco is the safest choice. Born of Rhine Riesling and Pinot Blanc, it joins flowers and citrus to a clean acidity that cuts the egg, and ageing on the lees gives it the structure to carry even a generous finish. Serve at 10–12 °C.
Want to know more about the grape? our guide to Manzoni Bianco
If the Sauce Is Meat or Tomato
Allegretto Valpolicella D.O.C. — Italo Cescon — Under a meat ragù or a tomato sauce you need a red, and Valpolicella is the one that weighs least: light body, cherry scent, the acidity tomato calls for and a tannin so discreet it never stiffens the mouthful. Serve at 15–16 °C.
Want to know more about the grape? our guide to Valpolicella
Craft Beer as an Alternative
Bold Helles Beer — chiara — A Helles is the most versatile of all precisely because it has no edges: delicate malt, dry finish, a fine bead that cleans. On fresh pasta, whatever the sauce, it never goes wrong. Serve at 4–6 °C.
Want to know more about the style? pale craft beers
Serve It With
To round off the experience, the assorted yeast-free crackers are the ideal accompaniment. Their neutral, yeast-free crunch does not interfere with the flavours of the pasta but makes a pleasant change of texture. The rosemary ones and the multigrain ones in particular go beautifully with the rustic character of Aurum type 2 flour.
Variations and Tips
- For an even more rustic version, replace 50 g of Aurum flour with buckwheat flour for a deeper, earthier flavour
- Add a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil to the dough to make the pasta more elastic and easier to roll
- For coloured pasta, work in 100 g of blanched and well-squeezed spinach or 2 tablespoons of tomato purée
- If you prefer a lighter pasta, use 3 yolks and 2 whole eggs instead of 4 whole eggs
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does fresh pasta keep?
Home-made fresh pasta keeps for 2–3 days in the fridge, wrapped in cling film. For longer storage you can freeze it once shaped, spreading it on a tray before putting it into freezer bags.
Can I use Aurum type 2 flour for other things?
Absolutely! Aurum type 2 flour is versatile and also suits bread, pizza and rustic bakes. Its bran and wheat germ content gives what you make a rich flavour and an interesting texture.
Why does my pasta turn out too hard?
Pasta that is too hard can come from overworking or from a dough that is too dry. Remember to work the dough only as much as needed and, if it is too dry, add a drop of water as you knead.
