I've been a pasta fanatic for as long as I can remember. Though many have abandoned it in favor of trendy diets, my devotion has never wavered. I'm lucky enough to live just a few blocks from one of the best pasta restaurants in Seattle if not the country (the always crowded and always worth it Il Corvo) so I never really felt the need to make my own. That all changed a few months ago when I decided to take an unprecedented two-week staycation and itching for a project, bought a pasta machine.

I made it through my first batch of tagliatelle with only a minor catastrophe. I was so caught up in cranking out perfect ribbons of pasta and winding them into cute little nests that I neglected to read the part about dusting them liberally with flour to prevent sticking. When it was time to go into the boiling water, my beautiful pasta had formed stubborn dough blobs that refused to be separated. What I was able to salvage was not pretty but it tasted damn good.

Despite a few bumps along the way, I came away with an unexpected appreciation for the act of making pasta, not just the finished product. It amazes me that some flour and a bunch of eggs transforms from a lumpy, barely held together mess into silky, almost transparent sheets of dough with nothing more than time and elbow grease. There's something meditative about rolling and re-rolling the dough through the machine and it’s thrilling to see your dough emerge from the cutter in perfect ribbons.

Last weekend, armed with a fresh bag of semolina flour, I made another attempt and the result was both picture-perfect and delicious.

Basic Pasta Dough (Based on recipe from The New York Times)

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 large eggs

3 egg yolks (save those whites for future treats!)

2 tablespoons water (more or less as needed)

Semolina flour, for dusting

Measure flour into a large mixing bowl and form a well in the center. Pour whole eggs and yolks into the well and begin to slowly incorporate the flour with a fork. Continue working the flour into the egg mixture until it is mostly incorporated. Now it's time to get your hands in there and continue working the dough until it comes together to form a shaggy ball. If necessary, add a tablespoon or two of water to help the dough come together.

Turn the dough onto a floured surface and begin kneading. Continue kneading for 3-4 minutes (this will feel like an eternity). The dough should start to become smoother and more yellow in color. Flatten the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic, and allow it to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.

After the dough is rested, divide the disk into fourths. Remove one fourth and cover the rest for the time being. Flatten the ball of dough into an oval approximately the same width as your pasta machine.

Now it's time to roll. Begin on the widest setting and gently feed the dough through. Repeat this process several more times, moving to a narrower setting each time. I use the Marcato Atlas pasta machine and have found that working from 0 to 5 produces the right thickness. You'll know you're there when you can see the outline of your hand through the pasta. At this point you can cut the rolled pasta into sheets for ravioli or lasagna or cut them into your choice of shapes.

Dust the finished sheets or strands with semolina flour to prevent sticking and arrange on a baking sheet. Keep covered with a tea towel until you are ready to cook. Cook fresh pasta in boiling salted water for 3-4 minutes and toss with your favorite sauce.