If you're going to the trouble of making pasta from scratch, you should be able to taste it. A standard tomato- or meat-based sauce will overwhelm it.
- Prepare an egg pasta dough (I like this recipe) and let it rest while you make the sauce.
- Start a couple tablespoons of butter (or good-quality olive oil if you prefer) warming in a saucepan. Finely dice some onion and/or garlic and/or shallots and toss them in. Soften them up for as long as you like. Add some thin-sliced leeks if you have any. Salt generously.
- Add several glugs of heavy cream and bring to a gentle simmer. Stir in the zest and juice of one lemon. Add plenty of salt and pepper, tasting as you go.
- Roll the pasta dough nice and thick (#6 on my machine, just thin enough you can see your fingers darken the dough from the other side). This may be thicker than you’re used to, but it will have a nice chew and pair well with the sauce. Put it through the fettuccine cutter.
- Boil the noodles for a couple of minutes in well-salted water. When they’re cooked to your liking, reserve some of the pasta water and drain the rest.
- Add the cream sauce and a splash of pasta water to the pasta. Toss well. Bon appetit.