Pasta - Batali-style
I made pasta this evening. I used the semolina that I've had for several years, and I can tell you, it definitely adds an "old & stale" taste to the final product. I probably won't use it again, but I put about half of the pasta itself in the freezer so I could make more later.
The recipe I used was as follows:
- 2.5 cups Semolina "pasta" flour.
- 4 eggs
Create pile (well-method) with about 2 cups of the flour. Add about 2 eggs and start the mixture until it's not running everywhere. Gradually add the other 2 eggs, one at a time until the whole ball comes together. Add the rest of the flour as needed to keep from sticking and to make it drier. Kneed for approximately 10 minutes and seal in plastic wrap to let rest for about 10.
Note that this comes out a little dry and has to be run through the pasta press a few times per setting, folding in half each time, to keep it 
from tearing. The best bet is to use fairly small balls of dough and flatten them out very well before you run them through.
The next time I do this, I'm going to add about 1-2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil to the initial eggs to keep some moisture in the final product. This should keep the rollers from tearing the dough as it goes through initially.
I started boiling the water (almost a gallon) before I even started the mixture on the board. It was lidded and boiling rapidly before I got a chance to cut the pasta. Most definitely the best way to do it. Be careful of the amount of salt you add in the water at the start. Always add salt when you add the pasta, but if you added too much beforehand, it will make the pasta taste more salty.
Keep a hearty bowl of semolina or normal flour around the rollers and on the board surface to keep the pasta sheets dry and not sticky when it goes through the machine. Also it seems best to cut the sheets before they get too long, or you'll have some VERY long pasta by the time you cut it. That can be a pain to eat I think.
The dough was super easy to make, and I'm definitely hooked on the fresh pasta thing. once I refine the recipe and get some decent flour, you can bet I'm going to be making this all the time.
Ciao.