Making homemade pasta is easier than you think, and it tastes so good you won't want to go back to boxed pasta! Toss it with butter and parm, marinara sauce, or use it in your favorite pasta recipe!
Making pasta is like making bread: there is just something amazingly wholesome about it.
After getting the KitchenAid pasta attachment for Christmas last year, I've been making homemade pasta every chance I get. I even bought a 50 lb. bag of semolina flour and have been gifting homemade pasta to friends and family every chance I get.
Over the past few months, I have been experimenting with different flour ratios and types. My favorite is an equal combination of semolina flour and all purpose flour.
You can make this recipe without any machinery by kneading the dough by hand, rolling it out super thin and cutting it with a knife. You just need some muscle and patience, both of which I don't have.
I'm using my trusty stand mixer to knead the dough, and attachments to roll and cut the noodles. This recipe also works for any pasta shape.
I promise you, once you know what fresh pasta tastes like, you will realize how flavorless boxed pasta is!
I hope to one day get the pasta press attachment so I can make more fun pasta shapes!
Why You'll Love this Recipe
This recipe is made with all purpose flour and semolina flour to give it a soft and bouncy texture with a "bite".
The semolina flour gives this pasta so much flavor.
I'm showing you how to make this with a stand mixer and by hand, along with my tips and tricks! It's a great weekend activity for you and your family.
Every bit of time and effort will be worth it once you dig in and realize how much better it tastes!
Ingredients
You probably already have all the ingredients to make pasta! All you need is all purpose flour, semolina flour, salt, eggs, and water! Substitute semolina with more all purpose or 00 flour.
How to Make Homemade Noodles
- Combine the ingredients and knead the dough in a stand mixer with a dough hook or by hand.
- Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- On a floured surface, portion the dough into 8 pieces.
- Flatten a piece by hand and pass it through the roller on setting #2.
- Fold and press the dough into thirds and pass it through #2 again. Folding the dough is optional but it helps create a more uniform shape as it passes through the roller.
- Roll it through settings #3 and #4 once and then #5 twice. Generously dust both sides with flour and lay it flat on a work surface or baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough.
- Switch to your favorite pasta cutter attachment and feed the sheets through to cut.
- Dust with more flour as needed, form a bundle, and let it dry on a floured baking sheet for 30 minutes. Repeat with remaining sheets.
How to Make Pasta by Hand
Since not everyone has access to a pasta machine, I wanted to include some instructions on how to do so by hand. You don't need any fancy equipment but you will need some time and patience!
- Make a mound with the flour then create a large divot in the center. Add the salt, eggs, water, and olive oil in the divot. The oil really helps to make the dough elastic when kneading by hand.
- Break up the eggs with a fork then slowly incorporate the flour into the eggs until a shaggy dough forms. Knead the dough for 10 minutes then cover with plastic wrap and rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- Flour the work surface and portion the dough into 8 pieces. Generously dust a portion with flour and roll it to your desired thickness. Fold the dough lengthwise into thirds then cut with a knife. Loosen the pasta and let it dry on a baking sheet for 30 minutes. Repeat with remaining dough.
Types of Pasta Flour
Some recipes use all 00 flour or all semolina flour. Our favorite is a combination of all purpose and semolina flour for flavor and to give a smooth texture with a "bite".
I was able to find both types of flours at my local grocery store.
Semolina flour is made of durum wheat and is coarse with a slightly nutty taste. On the other hand, 00 flour is super fine and powdery. 00 flour is great if you want silky pasta noodles.
I tested this recipe with equal parts semolina and all purpose flour vs. semolina and 00 flour and found the difference to be minimal.
You will notice the texture more if you use all 00 flour.
Tips, Tricks, and Cooking
- Don't add too much water. The amount of water will depend on the size of your eggs, humidity levels, and how you measure the flours. Only add enough water for the dough to come together. I start with 1/4 cup and then add 1 tb at a time as needed.
- Cover the dough. Cover with a towel or plastic wrap to prevent the pasta from drying out while you're rolling and cutting.
- Flour is your best friend. Dust the dough with flour as needed during the rolling and cutting process to prevent sticking.
- Prevent sticking when cooking. Add the pasta to salted boiling water and immediately loosen the pasta with a fork.
- Cook the pasta to al dente. The best way to enjoy pasta is to cook it till it's soft but chewy. Fresh pasta cooks very fast. My fettuccini only takes 4 minutes! Spaghetti takes about 2!
Drying Noodles
Forget about the pasta drying rack. I dry my pasta bundles on the counter for 30 minutes then store in the fridge. We tend to eat the pasta in a few days or freeze for longer storage.
I don't fully dry pasta for long term storage because the whole point is to eat fresh pasta!
If you'd like to hang noodles, take an oven rack and suspend it between two level items and there ya go!
Pasta Recipes
Fresh pasta has so much more flavor and texture; you can just eat it with a little bit of butter and parmesan cheese. One serving of fresh pasta is about 2-3 ounces.
You can also toss it in basil pesto or marinara sauce, or use it in any pasta recipe.
- Creamy Cajun Salmon Pasta
- Toss the noodles in this baked ziti meat sauce or chicken cordon bleu bake
FAQs
How long do I cook the pasta for?
It takes 4 minutes to cook the fettuccini noodles to al dente. If you experiment with different thicknesses, flours, or shapes it will take more or less time. For example, if you use all purpose or 00 flour only, it may only take a minute or two. Taste the pasta for doneness once it floats.
How do I store leftover fresh pasta?
Refrigerate uncooked pasta in an airtight container for up to 3 days of freeze for up to a month.
Homemade Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup all purpose or 00 flour
- 1 1/2 cup semolina flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 4 eggs
- 1/4 cup water or more, if needed
- 1 tbsp olive oil optional
Instructions
- In a stand mixer, mix all purpose flour, semolina flour, and salt. Then, add eggs and water. Add olive oil if desired. With a dough hook on low speed, knead for 5-10 minutes on low speed or until the dough is smooth. If the dough feels dry, add a tablespoon of water at a time.
- Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.
- On a floured surface, cut the dough into 8 pieces. Take a portion and flatten it by hand. Using a pasta roller, pass it through the #2 setting.
- Fold the dough into thirds and pass it through #2 again. Then, feed it through settings #3 and #4 once and twice on #5. Generously dust with flour and repeat with remaining dough.
- Switch to the fettuccini cutter or your favorite noodle shape and on setting #2, pass the pasta sheets through to cut the the noodles. Repeat with remaining dough. Dust with more flour as needed.
Notes
- If you only use 00 or all purpose flour, knead the dough for 5 minutes. Then, only add water 1 tb at a time if needed.
- This recipe can be used for any pasta shape.
- Cover with a towel or plastic wrap to prevent the pasta from drying out while you're rolling and cutting.
- Refrigerate pasta in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Freeze fresh pasta noodles for up to a month and cook directly from the freezer.
- Cook pasta in salted boiling water until al dente. The fettuccini took about 4 minutes.
Tricia Ricchino says
Do you add the ingredients in any sort of order into the mixture? What speed do you knead on?
Jenny says
Hi Tricia- I knead on low speed, typically speed #2 on the KitchenAid. I add the dry ingredients first and then the wet. There is a recipe card at the bottom of the post with more details. Let me know how it turns out!
Debbie Sexton says
I make chicken Noodle soup with rustic Noodle pasta. I put it into soup when it's done and don't dry them. The noodles soak up the chicken Broth and it is so delicious. After you roll dough out roll it up and cut into pieces and shake out you have your rustic noodle!