This fresh pasta dough recipe is very straightforward because it only uses flour and fresh eggs. I don't normally add salt or olive oil because I want neutral flavors and I heavily salt the pasta water. A good homemade pasta recipe should not be sticky and should provide a little spring back when you press on the dough.
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🥘 Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour, plus ¼ cup for dusting
- 4 large eggs
Use the extra flour for dusting once your dough is ready to be shaped and cut.
You can use any flour. For instance, I generally use a mix of regular flour and semolina flour. I am using all purpose flour here because that is what most everyone has on hand.
🔪 Instructions
- Place the flour on a clean, flat surface.
- Make a large well in the middle of the flour with your hand.
- Crack the eggs and place them in the flour well.
- Use a fork to mix together the eggs while taking in some of the flour and mixing it in. (Be careful not to break the flour wall otherwise, the egg will run outside of the flour).
- Once you have incorporated enough flour into the egg, it will become pasty. At this point, you can use your hands to finish mixing the dough.
- Knead the dough until the flour is nice and smooth. If you poke the dough, it should spring back.
- Wrap the dough with plastic wrap and let it sit for a minimum of 30 minutes. (You can leave it in the refrigerator overnight too).
- Roll out the dough either by hand or if you have a pasta machine, start sheeting it out. In order to strengthen the gluten, roll out the dough once, fold it in thirds, roll it out again, fold it in thirds, roll it out again, fold it in thirds, and continue rolling it out to your desired thickness.
- Once you achieve your desired thickness, begin cutting or shaping your pasta.
🥣 Making the fresh pasta dough
Making pasta from scratch is easy enough. You just start by placing the flour in a large mixing bowl or on a clean countertop. Make a well into the center of the flour large enough to hold the eggs. Using a fork, begin mixing the dough until the egg is incorporated. It may be a little crumbly and that is fine.
This recipe will also work well with a pasta maker and can be made using a stand mixer. These are especially helpful tools and equipment if this is your first time making pasta.
🤜🏼 Kneading the fresh pasta
Take the mixture and begin kneading it by hand. Usually, this will take about 10 to 15 minutes. Don't be afraid to really work that dough so it becomes nice and smooth. Use the heel of your palms to really push and mix the dough. If it looks as if it may be too dry, you can dab a little water on your hands and work the dough. This will incorporate more moisture and you will have to knead for a little longer. If the dough is too wet, add flour as needed and work into the dough. You're looking for a nice smooth dough. Wrap dough with plastic wrap for a minimum of 30 minutes.
🍝 Roll out the fresh pasta ball
After the dough has rested, you can now begin to shape your pasta. You can either roll it out with a rolling pin or use a pasta machine roller. If you're using a machine, make sure you flatten the dough so it will be easier to roll out otherwise the dough will rip and tear and you will overwork the dough.
After the dough has rested, you can now begin to shape your pasta. You can either roll it out with a rolling pin or use a pasta roller. If you're using a pasta machine, make sure you flatten the dough so it will be easier to roll out otherwise the dough will rip and tear and you will overwork the dough.
After you have rolled the dough out for the first time, fold it into thirds and flatten so it will fit in the machine. Roll it out for the second time, fold the dough into thirds, flatten it, and roll through two more times. Change the roller size to the next number and roll through twice. Continue rolling the dough through the machine twice on each number until you reach your desired thickness.
✂️ Cutting the pasta dough
Once you have reached the desired thickness, you can cut your pasta into your desired shapes. Cut your pasta sheet into approximately 12 inch long pieces. If you are using a machine, you can use the fettuccine or spaghetti cutters to make uniform noodles.
♨️ How to dry fresh pasta
If you are not going to use your pasta right away, you can easily dry it on a drying rack or leave it on the counter for later use. Just remember the longer it dries, the longer it will take to cook. I like to make the pasta and cook it right away. Rarely do I dry it.
🍳 How to cook fresh pasta dough
Fill a stockpot, or any large pot, with cold water and add a good amount of kosher salt. Bring the water to a rapid boil. The fresh pasta dough should only take a few minutes to cook in the rapidly boiling water. Once you add them to the pot, they will sink, and the water will go down to a slow boil. When they begin cooking, the pasta will rise back to the top; after that happens, you have about another 2 minutes (depending on thickness) before the pasta is cooked to a perfect al dente.
💭 Pasta dough in Conclusion
There are a lot of varying pasta recipes out there, pick one that you like and that works for you. This recipe is great for linguine, spaghetti, and fettuccine. I have made it several times and have fed 3 people with it but it can easily be made for a family of 4…We overate that night by the way…I mean, it's homemade pasta for cryin' out loud. And fresh at that!
This recipe would work great for bowtie as well. If you wanted to make ravioli or other filled pasta, you may need to increase the amount a little. Definitely play around with it and see what works for you. Once you have the basics down, you'll be able to create a lot of dishes and you can experiment with flavors like squid ink. Well, maybe not squid ink. I have to admit, I've made that a few times it is definitely NOT my favorite. You could definitely make spinach or tomato-based pasta. Be on the lookout for that recipe, I'll have to give it a shot. Test it out. Let me know what you think about this recipe.
❤️ Pair your fresh pasta with these great recipes:
- Roasted Heirloom Tomato Sauce - In season heirloom tomatoes with fresh basil roasted to perfection.
- How to make the best bolognese sauce - For nice thick meat sauce that best suites thicker pasta like pappardelle, or even some nice farfalle pasta!
- Quick tomato sauce for your pasta - This is perfect for those "I'm in a hurry" nights. In about 30 minutes you can have this sauce on the table. Just add some parmesan cheese!
If you tried the homemade fresh pasta recipe, please take a minute to rate the recipe and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it.. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, and Twitter. Tag me with #joeeatsworld
📖 Recipe
Standard Pasta Dough
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 4 large eggs
Instructions
- Place the flour on a clean, flat surface.
- Make a large well in the middle of the flour with your hand.
- Crack the eggs and place them in the flour well.
- Use a fork to mix together the eggs while taking in some of the flour and mixing it in. (Be careful not to break the flour wall otherwise the egg will run outside of the flour).
- Once you have incorporated enough flour into the egg, it will become pasty. At this point you can use your hands to finish mixing the dough.
- Knead the dough until the flour is a nice and smooth. If you poke the dough, it should spring back.
- Wrap the dough with plastic wrap and let it sit for a minimum of 30 minutes. (You can leave it in the refrigerator overnight too).
- Roll out the dough either by hand or if you have a pasta machine, start sheeting it out. In order to strengthen the gluten, roll out the dough once, fold it in thirds, roll it out again, fold it in thirds, roll it out again, fold it in thirds, and continue rolling it out to your desired thickness.
- Once you achieve your desired thickness, begin cutting or shaping your pasta.
Samantha Devane says
turned out great
Katie Millard says
Hi Joe
Can you make pasta from 1/2 wholemeal and 1/2 white flour. I cannot tolerate white flour any more and not keen on all wholemeal pasta so looking for a gradual introduction to changing. Thanks KT
Joe Morales says
Hi Katie, You sure can! I have also been mixing half and half semolina flour and all-purpose flour. You may need to adjust the liquid slightly, depending on the consistency of the flour you use. Let me know if you have any other questions!