DIY: How To Make Fresh Pasta
While my grandma never, ever used store-bought spaghetti sauce (seriously, those brand names were like swear words to her), it wasn’t unusual to see boxes of pasta at her house. However, those Sundays when we strolled in after church and caught a glimpse of her countertops completely covered in towel-lined baking sheets, nests of fresh pasta sitting on top, were certainly extra-special.
I made fresh pasta once before for fettuccine alfredo, and can’t believe that’s it’s been almost SIX years since I did it! I was definitely way overdue for busting out the pasta rollers. Truth be told, homemade pasta is not difficult at all, and it only involves two ingredients! You can use an old school hand-crank pasta machine (I’ve used one in the past, both at my grandma’s, and the first time I made pasta on my own), or if you have a KitchenAid, you can use their pasta roller attachment, which is what I used here.
I have seen people use mixers for making the dough, but I do it the way I remember seeing my grandma make it on her big dough board – a big mound of flour, then creating a well in the middle, cracking the eggs into there, and mixing it all up. That method served her well her entire life, so I went with the whole “if it’s not broke, don’t fix it” mantra.
Yesterday, we made a phenomenal meat sauce, and today we’re tackling fresh pasta. I promise that tomorrow is going to be fan-freaking-tastic!
Now, let’s get this homemade pasta party started!
One year ago: How to Make Rye Sour Starter
Two years ago: New Orleans Beignets
Three years ago: Chocolate Malted Whopper Cookies
DIY: How to Make Fresh Pasta
Ingredients
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
- 3 eggs
Instructions
- 1. Place the flour on a clean work surface, gathering it into a mound. Make a well in the center.
2. Crack the eggs into the center of the mound:
- Using a fork, lightly beat the eggs until they are completely broken up.
- Working from the inside of the mound, start to incorporate flour into the eggs, taking a little at a time, maintaining the "walls" of the mound for as long as possible.
- 3. Once all of the flour has been incorporated into the eggs, the mixture will be very rough and shaggy.
- Begin working the mixture with your hands and knead the dough, just as you would bread dough, until the dough is smooth and elastic, which can take up to 10 minutes.
- 4. Cover the dough with a piece of plastic wrap and allow to rest for at least 15 minutes, or up to 2 hours.
- 5. If you are making the dough for filled pasta (like ravioli or tortellini) or lasagna, cut the dough into four equal pieces (shown here). If you are making the dough for noodles, cut the dough into eight equal pieces.
- 6. Work with one piece of dough at a time (keep the others covered with plastic wrap so they do not dry out). Flatten the dough into an oblong shape and pass through the pasta machine on the widest setting (usually 1).
- 7. Dust the dough lightly with flour, then fold the dough into thirds.
- Pass through the pasta machine's widest setting again, feeding the open side of the dough through first. Pass the dough through again once more, for a total of three times.
- 8. Lightly flour the dough if it is sticky, and adjust the setting to the next level (number 2), and pass the dough through two times.
- 9. Continue to roll the pasta thinner by passing it through the machine repeatedly, using a narrower setting for each pass going forward. If you are making filled pasta (ravioli or tortellini), you should end on the thinnest setting. For lasagna or noodles, end on the next-to-thinnest setting.
- 10. Lay the sheets of pasta on a clean dish towel dusted lightly with flour. If you will be using the sheets for lasagna or filled pasta immediately, cover the pasta with another damp dish towel to keep from drying out. If you will be cutting the pasta into noodles, do not cover and allow to sit until only slightly tacky, 10 to 15 minutes. At this point, you can use a fettuccine or spaghetti attachment on the pasta machine and run each sheet through, creating noodles. If you prefer wide noodles, you can cut pappardelle (¾ to 1 inch wide) and tagliatelle (¼ to ⅜ inch wide).
- 11. Immediately transfer the noodles to a baking sheet lined with a clean dish towel, separating individual strands as best you can. If planning to cook immediately, cover the noodles with a damp dish towel so that they do not dry out. If you would like to store the pasta for future use, gather several strands as you cut the pasta and curl them into nests. Allow them to dry on the clean, flour-dusted kitchen towel for 24 hours. After they are completely dry, they can be stacked in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. Filled pasta, such as ravioli and tortellini, can be placed in a single layer on a baking sheet to freeze. Once completely frozen, they should be transferred to a resealable freezer bag and can be kept in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
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Hi, I will be making a lasagna on Saturday, but was wondering if I could make the noodles in advance on Friday. If so, how do I store the lasagna noodles?
I’m wondering if bleached or unbleached all purpose flour is used as well as the brand. Protein varies among different types of flour because some is made from soft wheat and others hard wheat…..
I made this for the first time but it sure will not be the last. OMGeeshh…no way to describe how very delish. I made a casserole plus two very small containers. I baked the small ones for 20 min, partially in other words. Can I cover and freeze?
thanks so much
Hi Betsy, I assume you mean the lasagna? If so, yes you could definitely freeze!
Looks great, and original, but I have a question – have you ever tried, or do you have a recipe for durham wheat or whole wheat pasta (or veggie pastas), to go healthier than the original?
I will be making the original stuff, but would like to also have options to keep it healthy and fun too!
Thanks, great website, keep up the great work!!
xo
Marianna
Hi Marianna, I have not tried making whole wheat, veggie or durham wheat pasta. Sorry I couldn’t be of more help!
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Keep up the pleasant work.
I’ve loved making pasta since watching my grandmothers and my mother back in the day. I find it very enjoyable making pasta from scratch…
I use my food processor, to make my dough. I use the 3 egg to 2 cups of all purpose flour…. I’ve also used 2 whole eggs and 2 egg yolks. I have the hand crank pasta maker. My youngest daughter lives 1400 miles from me. We visit twice a year. We’re here right now. My daughter always wants me to make pasta for her and her family.. On this trip I bought her a hand crank pasta maker… Been trying to show her how to make homemade pasta but she is having trouble rolling out and cutting the pasta with the pasta maker… It’s like she has 2 left hands. Lol…
I like how you do the bifold after you do the first rolling out on #1. … I’m going to do it the next time I make pasta…
My daughter gets frustrated with the board I clamp the pasta maker to… I thought about putting a wet towel under the board since its on the edge of the kitchen table.. Any suggests? At home I have a leftover piece of wafer non slip rug backer. Northern HoosierGirl..
Hi Jeanette, My grandma had an old dough board that she used for all of her pasta-making, too! I’m trying to remember what she did, but I would bet it was using a damp towel – she was pretty basic :) I love your idea of the rug backer!
I notice you use AP flour. I have read that durum flour is used for pasta production in many recipes. Would this make a difference and if so what differences? I like the use of AP because it is easy to find and convenient.
Hi John, It might make a difference in the final texture. I haven’t used durum flour, so I couldn’t say exactly what the difference might be.
I just got a Kitchen Aid pasta roller yesterday and I’m so excited to try this for dinner tonight. Quick question. How did you clean your pasta roller for the first time? It’s not addressed anywhere in the manual. My Italian mother said to make a batch of throw away pasta first. Is that the traditionally accepted method? Thanks for your help.
Hi Kristina, I think I used hot soapy water to wash it out the first time, but yes, then I would do a batch of throw-away. You’ll see some gunk on that first batch (at least I did!).
The way you have picture step-by-steps make it so much more fun (and easier) compared to my adventurous experience with an old pasta machine way back down in our cupboard!
Love this! I received a hand cranker pasta maker over Christmas and I just love it! Making fresh pasta doesn’t have to take all day, and the taste/texture is so worth it!
Oh thank you so much for sharing! I have thinking for a while now to attempt in making pasta. Do you happen have a ravioli recipe? :) Thanks!
Hi Liz, I don’t have a ravioli recipe yet!
This is so great; I got the pasta roller attachment for Christmas and just made the Lasagna Bolognese recipe posted recently on Bon Appetit that turned out to be TEN layers! SO good. I saw your meat sauce recipe and just grocery shopped to make it for my next batch. I struggled through my first few tries with ravioli but my best pasta yet was heart-shaped lobster/mascarpone raviolis in a beurre blanc. The pasta roller has been my favorite new toy!
I’m with your grandma–once I started making my own sauce, I never looked back to any of the store-bought stuff, no matter how good I thought it was before. Now I can’t even eat it…the last time I tried, I couldn’t even eat it because it just tasted so nasty to me. (The same thing happened once I started making my own salsa!)
I’ve never tried making my own pasta, though. I need to get the KitchenAid attachment and get on it!
We’ve been making pasta at cooking school, and your instructions are great! I’ve been wanting a pasta maker since the first time we made it because fresh pasta is completely worth the effort! It doesn’t get much more special than that. :)
There’s nothing better than fresh pasta!
Nothing beat homemade pasta! Great post!
I sure remember times when my grandma made pasta from scratch
Is tomorrow’s how-to homemade mozzarella??
It’s lasagna, but you probably saw it already! :)
I LOVE homemade pasta & haven’t made it for several years. Shame on me! Once I made three colors of pasta & formed striped ravioli. So much fun. I do use my food processor to make the dough, but have an old Atlas hand-crank pasta maker. Wish I was close to Pbg – I’d drop in for dinner.
:) you have managed to touch my heart again with your stories. I had a flashback to my mother making her pasta – huge wooden board covered with flour & pasta and just waiting to take a taste. You’ve inspired me to dig out the old fashioned pasta maker from somewhere deep in my garage and attempt to make some. There really is nothing better than fresh.
Loving the idea of this pasta. I need to get the ambition to try it :)
That’s it Michelle…this is the kick in the butt I needed to make homemade pasta. I have my very own brand new hand crank pasta machine waiting to be christened. I will make a batch in honor of my son coming home from college for break. This should evoke many comments from the others since they kiddingly knickname him the “Prince”. Thanks so much for sharing your kitchen and enthusiasm for cooking and life in general. God Bless!
Not sure if I will ever own a pasta machine, but that is so cool.
I have the other KitchenAid attachment (the extruder) and I struggle with making pasta on it. Do you happen to have any helpful hints?
Hi Jill, I don’t have this particular tool, and have looked into it, but have found mostly negative reviews. I’m sorry I couldn’t be of more help!
I have the extruder (and roller/cutter) and love it! No negative review here…just start with one small ball of dough, a little bigger than quarter sized, on a 4-6 speed. I find it doesnt work very well with more than 2 balls of dough in the feeder at a time; it’s too much for the auger.
Do you boil noodles before preparing a recipe? I’m especially interested in lasagna sheets preparation.
Hi Suzan, You do not need to boil the lasagna noodles if you use them right away. If you make noodles like fettuccine or spaghetti, however, you will need to boil them.
This looks great! I am a novice. Do you cook the pasta by boiling it? What is a nest?
Hi Andreya, If you are making lasagna, you do not need to boil it. If you are making noodles, then yes, you should boil it. It will not need to be boiled as long as completely dry spaghetti, though. This is an example of a nest: http://www.thelittlekitchen.net/how-to-make-homemade-pasta-with-kitchenaid/#.UwZEInlgv1o
Thank you so much!! I am excited to try this!!!
We must be really old school with a rolling pin and knife for tools! :)
looks great though I prefer not to use eggs, I use oil in mine. thanks :)
Wow :).
Michelle – I completely agree…fresh pasta is a real treat. In fact, it’s the ultimate treat at our house and I love the Kitchen Aid attachment. I hope my kids grow up with memories like you’ve shared and I remember in my family as well!! Thank you for sharing this recipe.
I love how easy you make this look. I need to purchase the attachment for my mixer so that I don’t have to roll out the pasta sheets by hand