Measure the flour out onto a flat surface and shape into a mound. Make a small depression in the middle of the mound of flour and crack two eggs into it. With your hands, mix the eggs into the four, so they are completely absorbed. Knead the dough into a ball. If the dough is too tight and won't stretch, add a little water. If the dough gets sticky, add flour. Continue turning and kneading the dough until it has a smooth, even consistency. Cover the ball of dough with a damp paper towel and let it sit for 10 minutes. Then cut a slice of dough from the ball. Stretch it out a little with a rolling pin, then run it through the pasta press at least four or five times. Once the dough is sufficiently stretched, put the fettuccine attachment on and run the dough through. Separate each piece of pasta and keep them on a well-floured surface, so they don't stick together. Boil the pasta for three-to-five minutes.

Sauté the chicken breasts in margarine over medium heat until browned and cooked through, about four minutes. Remove the chicken from pan, cut in half and chill. Add two teaspoons of flour to the pan. Stir until a roux forms. Add scallions, celery and peppers to sauté pan. Sauté until crisp tender. Stir in remaining ingredients. Heat until sauce begins to simmer. When pasta is done, drain well. Toss the pasta with sauce and top with chicken.Pasta recipe courtesy of Silvana Mannino, Jessica Faraone and Carolina Viola; chicken and sauce recipe from ilovepasta.org

ROLLING YOUR PASTA

Pasta makers can be purchased at most department stores, kitchenware stores or appliance Web sites for as little as $50. They come with different attachments to make the various shapes of pasta.

A rotella -- which looks like what you use to slice pizza, only smaller with a ribbed edge -- is also useful, particularly for lasagna. One important note about caring for your pasta maker, do not wash it, said Jessica Faraone, who co-owns Mezzogiorno. It will rust. Just thoroughly wipe it down with a dry cloth when you're finished.

NATIONAL NOODLE MONTH

Who knew not all pasta can be called noodles?

The National Pasta Association, apparently.

March is National Noodle Month, and the NPA is trying to raise awareness about what technically constitutes a noodle. By law, according to the NPA, a noodle must contain 5.5 percent egg solids. In January to March, noodle consumption typically increases by 20 percent, according to the NPA, thanks to its inclusion in winter comfort foods and Lenten menus.
Source: ilovepasta.org

HOMEMADE TIPS

Preparing fresh pasta is totally different from the boxed variety, as you would expect.

Using the right amount of flour is crucial. Too much flour will tighten the dough, making it impossible to stretch. If the dough feels too difficult to work with, just add a little water.

On the other hand, too little flour make the noodles stick together. When rolling out longer pasta -- such as fettuccine or spaghetti -- be sure to separate each noodle and lay them down on a well-floured surface.

You also don't need to boil fresh pasta nearly as long. No more than five minutes for most noodles will do. Lasagna and ravioli take even less time.

KNOW YOUR NOODLES

Fettuccine: Italian for little ribbons; long, wide and flat pieces; pairs with heavy sauces, such as alfredo.

Linguine: Italian for little tongues; similar to fettuccine but not as wide.

Farfalle: Italian for butterfly; commonly called "bow-tie" pasta; it is a rectangle of pasta pinched in the middle; pairs with chunkier sauces or in cold salads.

Cavatelli: a circular piece of pasta a little more than an inch long rolled together but left open; pairs with hearty cream or seafood sauces.

Macaroni: curved, hollow tubes of pasta cut into pieces shorter than an inch; a very versatile pasta.

Conchiglie: Italian for shells; small pieces of pasta resembling conch shells; good base for soups and salads.

Penne: Italian for quill; long, wider tubes of pasta with pointed ends; pairs with chunky sauces or in baked dishes.

Rotini: Italian for spirals; wide, flat pieces of pasta twisted in spirals; pairs with thick, chunky sauces.

For more information about pasta shapes, go to ilovepasta.org/shapes.html.