Description
Learn how to make authentic homemade pasta from scratch with simple ingredients and easy-to-follow steps. This classic Italian recipe guides you through making the dough by hand or with a stand mixer, rolling and cutting fresh pasta sheets, cooking to perfection, and storing your homemade pasta for later use.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Dough
- 2 ¼ to 2 ½ cups 00 flour or all-purpose flour (see instructions)
- 4 large eggs
- Additional flour for rolling
Instructions
- Making the dough by hand: On a flat surface, mound 2 ½ cups of flour and create a 5-inch wide well in the center. Add eggs to the well and pierce each yolk with a fork. Begin whisking the eggs, gradually incorporating flour from the edges. If the well cracks, push it back together or start kneading immediately if it breaks completely. When a shaggy dough forms, stop using the fork and knead the dough by hand into a ball.
- Kneading: Knead the dough for 5 minutes until smooth and elastic. Wrap it in plastic wrap and let it rest for 30 minutes to relax the gluten.
- Using a stand mixer: Place 2 ¼ cups of flour and eggs in the bowl with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed to incorporate eggs, then increase to medium-high speed. Beat for 5 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. Wrap with plastic wrap and rest for 30 minutes.
- Rolling the dough: Unwrap and divide the dough into 4 equal pieces. Keep unused portions covered. Flatten one piece into a rectangle and roll out by hand on a floured surface to about 6 inches wide and 1/8 inch thick. Let dry for 2 minutes before dusting with flour or semolina. Alternatively, use a pasta machine: flatten dough into a disk thinner at edges, dust roller with flour, and roll through repeatedly folding dough into thirds until 1/8 inch thick.
- Cutting the pasta: Fold sheets over and cut into desired shapes like linguine or tagliatelle, about 10 to 12 inches long. Drape pasta over a drying rack and dry for 30 minutes before storing. If cooking immediately, drying can be skipped.
- Cooking pasta: Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a rolling boil. Add pasta while stirring to prevent sticking. Fresh pasta cooks quickly, usually between 90 seconds to 4 minutes depending on thickness. The pasta will rise to the surface when done. Reserve some pasta water before draining for sauce thickening.
- Storing homemade pasta: Dust cut pasta with flour and dry on a rack for 30 minutes. Form into nests and place in an airtight container lined with parchment paper. Refrigerate fresh pasta up to 2 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Notes
- Using 00 flour yields a silky, smooth texture typical of Italian pasta, but all-purpose flour works fine.
- Resting the dough is crucial for easy rolling and better texture.
- If the dough is sticky, dust with additional flour but avoid adding too much to keep pasta tender.
- Fresh pasta cooks much faster than dried pasta, so watch carefully to avoid overcooking.
- Drying pasta before storing prevents sticking and helps with preservation.
- Reserve pasta water when cooking to help emulsify and thicken sauces.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 minutes
- Category: Pasta
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Keywords: homemade pasta, fresh pasta recipe, Italian pasta dough, how to make pasta, pasta from scratch
