Handmade egg pasta dough, rolled by hand, as fettuccine with butter and Parmesan

Weigh about 350 g of flour and make a loose mound with a hole in the middle like a volcano.

Crack in four eggs, pop the yolks and add a little pinch of salt; mix with a fork, pulling in flour from all around the rim so the wall does not break, until a thick paste.

Bring the rest together with a bench scraper, then knead by hand, pressing down and giving a quarter turn, until smoother and a poke springs all the way back; it should stay slightly tacky.

Wrap tightly in plastic wrap, seam side down, and rest about 30 minutes.

Knead again about 10 minutes for a second chance to develop gluten, then rest at least an hour and up to two; or refrigerate overnight and bring back to room temperature 45 minutes to an hour.

Cut the dough in half: one half for bow ties, one for fettuccine.

Dust the surface lightly and roll with the big rolling pin, a quarter turn after every roll to keep it round; brush off excess flour as it grows, since some resistance is needed to stretch it.

Roll toward about a 16th of an inch, thin enough to see skin through; then stretch by rolling the edge over the pin toward the centre and pressing firmly.

Fettuccine: dust the sheet with double O flour, roll the top half to the centre three times loosely, the bottom half to meet it, and fold into one log.

Trim the end and cut strips about a quarter of an inch wide; lift and shake them out with a skewer and toss in semolina on a sheet tray.

Warm a bowl with hot water, dump it, and melt the butter in it.

Boil the fresh pasta to the desired doneness, move it to the bowl with the cheese and butter, and stir until the sauce is emulsified; plate in a bowl.