Homemade Egg Noodles

Three simple ingredients are all you need to make your own fresh, homemade egg noodles. Learn how to make noodles from scratch with this easy recipe.

Recently, Kevin came down with a cold. When you are sick with a cold, there is nothing more comforting than homemade chicken noodle soup. I had some chicken soup in the freezer, but I didn’t have any boxed pasta in the pantry. It was then that I remembered how easy it is to make your own egg noodles from scratch.

I used to make pasta from scratch all the time, but stopped after a period of pain associated with tendonitis and carpel tunnel syndrome in my wrists. Now that I am armed with additional kitchen appliances to help with kneading the dough, I couldn’t wait to make my own egg noodles again. Using fresh eggs from our chickens makes homemade egg noodles extra special.

Tips for Making Egg Noodles from Scratch

Egg noodles are a type of pasta shaped in flat, short ribbons in fine, broad, wide, or extra wide widths. They are most often used in soups and casseroles.

The ingredients for noodles are simple, just wheat flour, salt, and eggs. These are combined into a dough that is rolled thin and cut into noodle shapes.

You can, of course make and knead the dough by hand. However, if you lack the manual strength for kneading, consider using a food processor or stand mixer with dough hook to take on some of the labor to bring the dough together.

My Italian Auntie didn’t have any fancy equipment. Heck, she didn’t even use a recipe to make her pasta. She began with a few scoopfuls of flour on a large cutting board, made a well in the center, and added her eggs and a pinch of salt. She used her fingers to scramble the eggs and gently pull in the flour from the sides. She mixed the dough together until combined, adding flour as needed until the dough felt right. Then she continued kneading the dough until it formed a smooth ball.

Cutting the Egg Noodles by Hand

To roll your dough by hand, divide the dough into sections and roll them out one at a time.

Dust the dough, work area, and rolling pin with flour as need to prevent sticking as you roll. Lift the dough and turn frequently to help prevent sticking. Keep rolling until the dough is 1/16-inches (4 mm) thick for egg noodles.

Use a knife or pizza cutter to slice the pasta sheets into egg noodle shapes about 2 x 1/2 inch (5 cm x 1 cm). Sprinkle flour on the noodles, spread them out in a single layer, and set aside while you work with the rest of the dough.

Auntie used a rolling pin to roll out the pasta dough and cut the pasta shapes by hand with her pastry cutter or sharp knife. Hand cutting creates a charming, rustic looking egg pasta noodle that brings back warm childhood memories of large family dinners on Sunday.

Use a Pasta Machine to Make the Noodles

After mixing, running the dough through a pasta machine makes it really easy to form the noodles.

Start out at the thickest setting on your pasta machine. Working in batches, slice off a section of dough, flatten it with your hands, and run it through the machine.

Fold the sheet into thirds and then run it through the machine two more times.

Reduce the setting to the next lower level and run the dough through the machine again. Do not fold. Run through the machine again.

Dust the dough with flour as needed to prevent sticking and keep going until the dough is 1/16-inch (4 mm) thick for egg noodles.

Feel free to cut the sheets of pasta to more manageable lengths at any point in the process. Don’t fret if your pasta sheets get messed up. Just fold it up, flatten it out, and begin again at the thickest setting.

Once the pasta dough is 1/16-inch (4 mm) thick, cut the sheet to egg noodle size of about 2-inches, then run through the pasta machine’s wide noodle cutter.

Dust the noodles with four, spread out into a single layer, and set aside while you work with the rest of the dough.

Preserving Egg Noodles for Later

Homemade noodles should be used right away, refrigerated, or frozen for longer storage. There are two ways you can store homemade egg noodles, refrigerating or freezing. Storing at room temperature is no longer recommended. Dough that contains raw eggs and flour should be refrigerated or frozen for safety.

Drying Egg Noodles

There are two methods for drying homemade egg noodles, air-drying and using a food dehydrator. With either method, the egg noodles must be completely dry before you store them. You can tell when the noodles are dry, by bending them in half. They should snap easily.

• Air Drying: Dry the noodles by hanging on a pasta drying rack, or spread them out in a single layer onto well-floured baking sheets and allow the noodles to dry for 1-2 hours. Store the dried noodles in an airtight container for up to two days in the refrigerator, or freeze for up to 6 months. To prevent salmonella, the egg noodles should not be left out at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
• Drying with a Food Dehydrator: Place the noodles in a single layer on the drying screens of the food dehydrator and dry at about 135˚F for 2 to 4 hours (follow the manufacturer’s directions). Store the dried egg noodles in an airtight container for up to two days in the refrigerator, or freeze for up to 6 months.

Freezing Egg Noodles

To freeze your egg noodles, spread them out in a single layer on parchment lined baking sheets. Place the sheets into the freezer and freeze the noodles for about 15 minutes, or until the individual pieces aren’t sticking to each other or the pan. Once they are frozen, package them up into freezer bags, seal, date, and store for up to 6 months.

Cooking Dried or Frozen Noodles

Bring a pot of water to a boil over high heat, add the frozen or dried noodles to the pot. Stir gently to prevent the noodles from sticking together. Cook until the noodles are tender and cooked through, about 10 to 12 minutes.

These homemade egg noodles are perfect for turkey noodle soup but can also be enjoyed tossed with some butter, Parmesan cheese, and a sprinkle of fresh herbs, or topped with homemade tomato sauce.

This article was originally published on April 7, 2016. It has been updated with additional information.

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