How to Make Pasta from Scratch
It's easy to make fresh pasta at home. Feed your craving for comfort foods by making homemade pasta from scratch with this simple recipe and tutorial.
Servings: 3 servings
Calories: 263kcal
Ingredients
- 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour plus extra for kneading and dusting
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons water plus extra if needed
Instructions
- Combine the flour and salt on a clean work surface (or in a large bowl).
- Form into a mound, make a well in the center, and add the eggs and water.
- Using a fork or your fingers, gradually pull the flour into the well and mix until all the ingredients are combined into a shaggy dough.
- Knead the dough until it feels smooth, about 10 minutes. Dust with flour as needed to prevent stickiness. Add a few drops of water if the dough is dry and crumbly.
- Form into a large ball, cover with a kitchen towel, and let the dough rest for 15 minutes at room temperature before shaping it to allow the gluten in the flour to develop.
- Dust your work surface and rolling pin with flour. Cut the dough into pieces and roll out with a rolling pin until the pasta at your desired thickness. Sprinkle with flour as needed to prevent sticking.
- Cut the pasta to your desired shape. Sprinkle the noodles with flour, spread out on a baking sheet, and let the pasta dry for about 15 minutes before cooking.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, drop in the pasta, and cook for 1-4 minutes. The cooking time will depend on the thickness of the noodles. Begin testing part way though by pulling out a strand of pasta, letting it cool a bit, and biting into it. Fresh pasta will be tender, but should not taste like flour.
- Drain your pasta in a colander and top with tomato sauce, pesto, or toss with your favorite veggies, and sprinkle generously with grated cheese. Serves 4.
Notes
Pasta Variations:
- No Egg Pasta: Replace eggs with 3 Tablespoons of water (4 1/2 Tablespoons in all, or enough to form a ball of dough).
- Whole Grain Pasta: Substitute the all-purpose flour with whole wheat or spelt flour. Add extra water if needed.
- Basil Pasta: Eliminate the water and add 3 Tablespoons minced fresh basil.
- Beet Pasta: Eliminate the water and add 1/3 cup cooked beet purée.
- Black Pepper Pasta: Add 2 teaspoons of freshly ground pepper.
- Lemon Pasta: Replace the water with 1 1/2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice and 1 Tablespoon grated lemon zest.
- Spinach Pasta: Eliminate the water and add 3 Tablespoons minced fresh spinach.
- Pumpkin Pasta: Eliminate the water and add 1/3 cup pumpkin purée and 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg.
Nutrition
Serving: 4ounces | Calories: 263kcal | Carbohydrates: 47.9g | Protein: 9.6g | Fat: 3.1g | Saturated Fat: 0.9g | Cholesterol: 93mg | Sodium: 327mg | Potassium: 101mg | Fiber: 1.7g | Sugar: 0.4g | Calcium: 23mg