Homemade Pasta Dough Recipe

An easy to make pasta dough recipe, perfect for any pasta dish. There is something about getting your hands dirty, kneading that dough, rolling it out and turning it into your preferred shape. So, dust off your pasta machine and get back into pasta making with this homemade pasta dough recipe...andiamo!

At work, we roll out pasta with an electric machine but for my kitchen at home, I recently got my hands on a basic one. I have been using it to make my homemade pasta dough recipe religiously every week.

Turns out, this recipe works for any pasta dish, so now pasta has become one of my favorite things to make at home. From linguine, angel hair, parpadelle to lasagna sheets, ravioli or these sweet potato agnolottis, you name it.

What should I make homemade pasta dough?

Well, first off you need to make a pasta dough. If you like your pasta al dente (with a bite) like I do, I recommend you use "00" flour. You will have to look in fine grocery stores to find this, but trust me, it makes all the difference. "00" flour is an Italian flour that has been milled extra fine.

As a result your dough will be smoother and maintains that perfect chewiness.
All purpose flour will work as well, as a tip add semolina flour to make it stronger.

Secondly for this homemade pasta dough recipe you need a pasta machine. I bought mine for less than 50$ and I love it. In short, get a pasta machine that works for you and your budget, no need for a fancy one unless you are cooking for the whole neighborhood!
Now that you are ready, lets start making the dough.

How to make pasta dough

One way to make an easy pasta dough, is to use a food processor. Simply place all ingredients in the food processor and blend for 10 seconds until it all comes together into a crumbly mixture.

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Put it on a floured surface and knead for 2 minutes until it becomes elastic. Now form a ball and wrap with cling film to rest for 30 minutes in the fridge.

If you make pasta dough by hand, make a mound of flour on your kitchen surface. Make a whole in the center and add the eggs, salt and oil.

With a fork or your finger mix the eggs into the flour. Once the eggs and flour are mixed, use both hands to combine the remaining flour. Knead for 5 minutes and rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.

How to roll out the pasta dough

Remove the dough from the fridge and slice into three equal parts. With a rolling pin, roll out the dough on a floured surface into an oval shape disc.

Now transfer your pasta dough to your pasta machine and roll out on the widest setting. Repeat this for two more times and start folding the pasta back into the same sized oval disc you had in the beginning.

This way your dough will be more elastic and stronger. Afterwards, continue rolling out your dough by changing the setting on your pasta machine.

The thinner you go, the longer your pasta sheet will be. If you have reached your desired thickness use your cutter attachments to get the shape you want.

How to cook fresh pasta

As with any pasta, make sure you are using a large pot with plenty of water. Season your water with salt in a way that when you taste, it will taste like salt water. Keep in mind that fresh pasta cooks much faster than the dried one, so keep checking.

A thin pasta might not take longer than 90 seconds. Stir right from the beginning a few times to avoid the pasta from sticking together. When the pasta is al dente keep some cooking water aside for the sauce, as explained in our rigatoni recipe. Use the pasta straight away.

As a tip: Think about timings. Once the dough is resting in the fridge, work on your sauce or garnish. When you come to the last batch of pasta dough, make sure you have your pot of water boiling. And don't keep your pasta out for too long, it will dry up and break.

Enjoy making pasta? Here are some more recipes, try our casarecce pasta with green asparagus and our recipe for homemade ricotta gnocchi, they are easy to make too.