Vermicelli

How to prepare vermicelli

1. In a wide bowl, beat the eggs well with salt. Add the flour and mix by hand until the flour is absorbed by the eggs. The dough will be crumbly now, but that's okay, don't add extra eggs or water.
2. Start kneading the dough until it comes together into a ball (about 3-4 minutes). At this point you can continue kneading the dough by hand (directly on the work surface, about 15 minutes), with a stand mixer (about 5 minutes), or in a bread machine (on the kneading/pasta program). If you choose to knead it with a mixer or machine, at the end knead it by hand for another 2-3 minutes on the work surface, the warmth of your hands helps. The dough is firm and requires strength for manual kneading.
3. When the dough is ready, cut it into 8 equal pieces.
4. Prepare the pasta machine with the simple dough roller attachment (or lasagna setting). Ideally when using the pasta machine, it's best to be two people, it's much easier and faster. One turns the crank and the other feeds and holds the dough as it comes out.
   
5. Take each piece of dough and roll it out slightly with a rolling pin, just to give it a disc shape.
6. Set the machine on level 1 (the widest on mine) and feed the dough through twice at this level. Repeat twice at levels 2 and 3 as well. Then continue to the thinnest level (my machine has 4-9), this time passing the dough only once through each. At the end you'll have a long, thin sheet through which you can see the towel pattern.
   
8. Spread clean towels or tablecloths. Place the rolled sheets on them.
9. Let the sheets dry. How long depends on the temperature and humidity in your home (in summer it takes only 20-30 minutes, in winter it can take 1-2 hours). When the sheets feel slightly dry on top, turn them to dry on the other side too. When they seem dry but still pliable (don't let them dry too much! they will break when cutting) do a test with a small piece and if the vermicelli sticks when cutting, it means they need a little more drying.
10. Prepare the pasta machine with the noodle cutter attachment (I used vermicelli here, but taglierini also works). At the end where the noodles fall, place a sheet of baking paper.
    
11. Take each sheet and pass it through the machine. As it comes out, scatter the vermicelli on the baking paper. After 2-3 sheets, move the vermicelli onto towels/tablecloth, using the baking paper. Spread it with your hand.
    * vermicelli can also be cut by hand; just roll the sheets and cut slices as thin as possible, perpendicular to the roll
    
12. Let the vermicelli continue to dry for 1-2 days (until it becomes brittle). If you want to make nests, shape them after 1-2 hours of drying and then continue to let them dry. Store in paper bags, in a cool place, for up to 6 months. Vermicelli can also be used immediately after preparation, cooking time is maximum 5 minutes. If dried, it will cook in about 10 minutes.

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