Working Surface

working surface (la spianatoia): Ideally, you should have a board of smooth wood at least 2 feet by 3 feet for kneading and rolling out dough to make fresh pasta. Failing this, formica and plastic are suitable substitutes. Some people use large slabs of marble, which are quite attractive and often very heavy. I like marble, but its coolness tends to chill dough more than necessary, making it more difficult to work with.