Thomas Keller's Pasta Dough Features Quite A Bit Of Egg Yolk

Chef Thomas Keller's list of accomplishments and influences in the culinary world is extensive. His restaurant, The French Laundry, transformed a sleepy Napa Valley farm into one of the world's best and most sought-after eateries. Keller blends simplicity and elegance in his dishes, and pasta happens to be a format that fits his cooking philosophy particularly well. It's hardly a surprise that a recipe for handmade pasta appears in "The French Laundry Cookbook." While there's no dearth of pasta dough recipes, you can trust that one backed by Keller is a keeper. Whether you're looking to upgrade your pasta-making chops or delving into making it from scratch for the first time, this pasta dough is one you should attempt.

What makes Keller's recipe stand out is the incredibly high proportion of egg yolks used in the dough. We're talking half a dozen yolks blended into less than two cups of flour. The result? A luxurious noodle that's delicately textured and still has bite and lots of flavor. You can use the dough for making stuffed pasta, but we'd recommend a simple fettuccine using Giada De Laurentiis' trick to coat every noodle perfectly so the pasta's texture can truly shine. Note that this is a simple recipe with just four ingredients, but isn't the easiest to make, especially if you plan on kneading the dough by hand. However, the reward is more than worth it.

Thomas Keller's pasta dough recipe uses six egg yolks and another whole egg mixed with about 8 ounces of all-purpose flour. The chef often uses finer 00 flour (King Arthur is a fan-favorite brand). Broadly speaking, the yolks should be about half the flour by weight, before adding the additional whole egg. Use an empty water bottle to separate eggs, then add a final touch of milk and olive oil. Now, the real work begins.

The yolks and other wet ingredients should go into the center of the flour and get gradually worked in. Since there is no additional water, it's going to be pretty firm, meaning kneading it by hand is a bit of a workout. Keep going until you have a smooth, yellow dough, then let it rest for at least 30 minutes before proceeding. To check if the gluten formation is sufficient, you should feel some resistance when you push your finger into the dough and it should hold its shape.

Use a pasta machine, a rolling pin, or even a clean wine bottle to roll the dough into a thin, translucent sheet. While mixing some water into the dough will make it softer and easier to work with, it also dilutes the flavor and consistency of the resultant pasta. Egg yolk's high protein and fat content give the noodles flavor and a substantial bite, so when you finally eat that delicious pasta tinged yellow from all that egg yolk, you'll know exactly why Keller's recipe is a cut above the rest.