There are very few things on this earth that are as wonderful as homemade pasta. If you’ve only had the store-bought stuff, I highly implore you to try the real-deal.

Homemade pasta gets a bad rap as something difficult to make, but with only three ingredients and a bit of elbow grease and and determination, you can whip up an authentic batch of any noodle easily.

Here’s what you need to make a batch of fresh pasta just like your nonna.

• 3 large eggs
• 4 cups 00 flour. This is a very finely ground and fine grade flour, but if you have trouble finding it, all-purpose flour works just fine.
• Salt to taste

Start by combining your flour and salt in a mixing bowl. With a clean work surface, make a mound with your flour. With your hands or the back of a wooden spoon, make a crater in the center of your flour mountain and add your eggs. Whisk your eggs together with a fork and slowly begin to add the flour bit by bit, until you have incorporated all the eggs and have about half of your flour remaining.

Roll up your sleeves and begin kneading your dough. Make sure to keep your work surface well-floured to keep it from sticking. It should look a bit shaggy at first, but as you continue to knead it should come together nicely. Continue kneading for ten minutes, then wrap in plastic and allow to rest 30 minutes.

Once your pasta has rested, it is time to roll it out and to cut it into noodles.

There’s a lot of impressive technology on the market that will do pretty much all of this work for you, from kneading the ingredients to rolling it out into perfect noodles, but to me, this feels like cheating. If you don’t knead your own pasta, then it simply won’t taste as delicious at the end. I don’t make the rules.

I prefer to use the old-school stuff. I can’t make pasta without my Imperia Pasta Machine. These are made in Italy, so you know they’re the real deal. I heard from a friend of mine in Vicenza that her, her mother, and her grandmother all own this pasta machine and swear by it. That’s how you know it’s good. I’m inclined to agree. It works perfectly every time and you get some beautiful and evenly shaped noodles.

Luckily, you don’t have to fly to Vicenza for one. You can order the Imperia Pasta Machine on Williams-Sonoma, along with different attachments to make all sorts of different types of noodles.

The Imperia Pasta Machine is the real star of this recipe, because it’s not so easy to cut perfectly shaped noodles by hand. This delivers a beautiful noodle every time and takes up little counter space. With removable, easy-to-clean parts, a clamping mechanism and rubber feet to keep it on your counter, and different attachments, you can make any pasta with ease. With its intuitive design, you will never go back to store-bought pasta again.

Once your pasta is rolled, cut it into strips narrow enough to feed through the machine, and turn the crank. On the other end of the machine, you should have beautifully cut noodles.

Throw the noodles into boiling water for about thirty seconds and drain. Dress your noodles as desired.

If you’re looking for inspiration, I highly recommend making these noodles into Cacio e Pepe, which literally translates to cheese and pepper. I really can’t think of a better combination. This Bon Appetit recipe is one of my favorites.

You can save these noodles in the fridge for two days, or in the freezer for two weeks, but I doubt you’ll have leftovers.

If you’re ready to start making your own pasta, here’s where you can buy an Imperia Pasta Machine of your own. Go ahead and toss out those boxes of Barilla while you’re at it.