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My favorite 4-ingredient homemade pasta recipe — easy to make by hand, in a stand mixer, or in a food processor. Plus tips on how to roll out your pasta by hand or using a pasta maker.
I’ve been having a bit of a moment with homemade pasta lately.
And oh my gosh, you guys, I am loving it so much. ♡
The inspiration for it all began on our trip to the Amalfi Coast this spring, where Barclay and I became wholeheartedly convinced that we needed more 100%-from-scratch Italian food happening here at home in our little kitchen. Stat. So Barclay set his sights on perfecting homemade mozzarella this spring (more on that to come) and I came home ready to dive into the world of homemade pastas, gnocchis, and breads of all kinds. I even broke my minimalist no-new-kitchen-appliances-while-we’re-in-Europe rule and brought home an adorable little traditional pasta maker and wooden drying rack to make our pasta dreams come true.
Turns out, homemade pasta is even more delightful — and easy and delicious and fun — than I expected!
First off, the fresh pasta dough itself is a breeze to make. If you happen to own a food processor, the dough can be prepped in less than 5 minutes. (Or you can make it by hand or in a stand mixer in less than 15 minutes.) The process of rolling out the noodles is also easier than I expected, especially once I got the hang of using my little pasta maker. (I’ve included instructions below as well for how to roll out pasta using a stand mixer or a rolling pin by hand.) I’ve also enjoyed experimenting with the various different pasta flours and discovering which ones I like best for different occasions. (Short answer — I prefer “00” flour most of the time, but occasionally mix it with semolina for heartier shapes or sauces.) Mostly, though, we’ve just enjoyed eating fresh pasta. It has such a delicious, fresh, chewy, unmistakable bite to it. And it has instantly kicked some of our favorite pasta recipes up a mega notch. (Here’s lookin’ at you, cacio e pepe!)
Also fun? Inviting a group of girlfriends over on a Friday night to share a bottle of rosé as we roll out a batch of homemade pasta together. And having leftover linigune in the fridge to pull out for a quick dinner on a busy weeknight. And surprising friends and neighbors with a tupperware full of cute little fresh pasta nests as gifts. And being “that home” that now has fresh pappardelle casually draped and drying by our sunny living room window.
I’m loving it all. And if you also happen to be a fan of really good pasta, I have a feeling this might be your new favorite thing too.
So to continue with Italian Week here on the blog today, I am sharing everything I’ve learned so far about the art of making some seriously delicious homemade pasta. I’ve tried to include lots of different methods and options to work with whatever you have in your kitchen. So please poke around and find whatever method works best for you — and report back if you give homemade pasta a try! I would love to hear how it goes.
Homemade Pasta Recipe | 1-Minute Video
Homemade Pasta Ingredients:
Alright, before we get to the full recipe below, here are a few important notes about the pasta ingredients you will need to make 1 pound of classic homemade egg pasta:
Flour: I really love to make my homemade pasta with “00” flour, which yields the silkiest pasta. But if I am making a sauce that is a bit more hearty, I will use half “00” and half semolina flour, which makes the pasta a bit more sturdy and helps the sauce to cling to the pasta better. That said, any of these three flours (or a combination of them) will work with this recipe:
“00” flour: My personal favorite, which makes the texture extra silky.
Semolina flour: A heartier flour, which can help the pasta cling better to the sauce. (Semolina is also my favorite flour to sprinkle on the cutting board and pasta, while you are in the process of rolling out the dough.)
All-purpose flour: Also works pretty well if this is the only flour you have on hand.
Eggs: This recipe calls for four large eggs.
Olive oil: This will also help to moisten the dough. (If the dough is still too dry, you can also add in a few teaspoons of water.)
Sea salt: We will add a teaspoon of fine sea salt to the recipe, plus I recommend adding a little extra to your pasta water when cooking the pasta.
Homemade Pasta Equipment:
I’ve included instructions below for how to make homemade pasta completely by hand. Or if you happen to own a food processor (my favorite method) or a stand mixer, those can save you some extra work too.
When it comes to actually rolling out the pasta, you can do so by hand (with a rolling pin and a knife). Or you can additionally invest in a:
Pasta maker: I purchased the Atlas 150 pasta maker and really love and recommend it. Or, if you happen to own a KitchenAid stand mixer, their pasta roller attachment works well too.
Pasta drying rack: Optional, but very helpful (and pretty!). I opted for this wooden pasta drying rack and love it.
How To Make Pasta In A Food Processor:
This is my preferred way to make homemade pasta because it’s the quickest and easiest! Simply add all four ingredients to the bowl of a food processor (fitted with the normal blade attachment). Pulse for about 10 seconds, or until the mixture reaches a crumbly texture (see above). Remove the dough and pat it into a ball with your hands and place it on a lightly-floured cutting board. Knead the dough for 1-2 minutes until it is smooth and elastic. (If the dough seems too dry, add in an extra tablespoon or two of water. If the dough seems wet or sticky, just add in some extra flour, but you the dough to be fairly dry.) Form the dough into a ball with your hands, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and let the dough rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. Use immediately or refrigerate for up to 1 day.
How To Make Pasta In A Stand Mixer:
Also a super-simple method (especially convenient if you are also going to be using a stand mixer roller attachment to roll out the pasta dough). Just combine all of your ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer. Then using the dough hook, mix and knead the dough for 8-10 minutes on low speed until it is smooth and elastic. (If the dough seems too dry, add in an extra tablespoon or two of water. If the dough seems wet or sticky, just add in some extra flour, but you the dough to be fairly dry.) Form the dough into a ball with your hands, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and let the dough rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. Use immediately or refrigerate for up to 1 day.
How To Make Pasta By Hand:
If you don’t have a food processor or stand mixer, no prob! Place the flour in a mound on a large cutting board. Then use your fingers or a spoon to create a good-sized well in the middle of the flour mound (kind of like a volcano). Add the eggs in the center of the well. Sprinkle the salt and drizzle the olive oil on top of the eggs. Use a fork to begin whisking the eggs. Then once they are combined, begin gradually whisking some of the surrounding flour into the egg mixture, adding more and more until the egg mixture is nice and thick. (If some eggs accidentally spill out, no worries, just use your hands or a bench scraper to pull them back in.) Then use your hands to fold the rest of the dough all together until combined. Knead the dough for about 10 minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic, sprinkling some extra flour on the cutting board if needed to prevent sticking or if the dough seems too wet or sticky. (If the dough seems too dry, add in an extra tablespoon or two of water, but you want the dough to be fairly dry.) Form the dough into a ball with your hands, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and let the dough rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. Use immediately or refrigerate for up to 1 day.
How To Roll Fresh Pasta With A Pasta Maker:
Once the dough has rested for 30 minutes and is ready to go, remove it from the plastic wrap and transfer it again to a cutting board. Use a knife to cut the dough into four equal wedges (like you’re slicing a pie), then set one wedge aside and immediately wrap the remaining three in the plastic wrap again to prevent them from drying out.
Sprinkle the cutting board (or a large baking sheet) generously with flour, and set aside.
Using your hands, shape the dough wedge into a oval-shaped flat disc. Feed the dough through the pasta maker on the widest setting. (On my pasta maker, this is setting number 1.) Once the sheet comes out, fold it into thirds, similar to how you would fold a piece of paper to fit in an envelope. Feed it through the rollers 2 or 3 more times, still on the widest setting. Then continue to feed the dough through the rollers as you gradually reduce the settings, one pass at a time, until the pasta reaches your desired thickness. (I like setting 6 on my pasta maker.) Whenever the dough starts to get a bit sticky as you pass it through the rollers, just pause and drape the dough onto the floured cutting board to re-flour, being sure to coat both sides of the dough. Also, if your dough sheet starts to get too long to handle, just cut it in half with a knife.
Once your dough sheet is ready to go, sprinkle it with flour once more. Then connect the cutter attachment to your pasta maker (and transfer the handle to the cutter attachment, if need be). Feed the sheet through the attachment to create your desired shape of pasta. Then transfer the cut pasta to a drying rack, or swirl it into little pasta “nests” and lay them on a floured surface to dry for 30 minutes. Repeat with the remaining pasta dough.
How To Roll Fresh Pasta With A Stand Mixer:
The process for the stand mixer is basically the same as using a traditional pasta maker. (It’s just easier because you don’t have to use one hand to crank the machine!) Simply connect the pasta roller attachment to your stand mixer. Set the adjustment knob to the widest setting. Then shape and feed the pasta dough into the roller as directed above until it reaches your desired thinness, lightly flouring the pasta as you go to prevent sticking.
Once your sheet of pasta is ready to go, sprinkle it with flour once more. Then remove the roller attachment and connect the cutter attachment of your choice. Feed the dough through the cutter. Then transfer the cut pasta to a drying rack, or swirl it into little pasta “nests” and lay them on a floured surface to dry for 30 minutes. Repeat with the remaining pasta dough.
How To Roll Fresh Pasta By Hand:
To roll out your pasta by hand, shape one wedge into a oval-shaped flat disc, as directed above. Transfer the disc to a cutting board, and use a rolling pin to roll out the dough until it reaches your desired level of thickness (generally between 1-2 mm thick), adding extra flour to the cutting board as needed to prevent sticking. In general, a good test for thickness is that you should be able to see your hand through the dough if you carefully lift it up.
Using a pizza cutter or a knife, slice the dough into 5-inch sections. Sprinkle each section with a bit of extra flour. Then, starting on the short side of the sections, roll them up into very loose, flat cylinders (see above). Cut the cylinders cross-wise to create your desired width of noodles. Then transfer the cut pasta to a drying rack, or swirl it into little pasta “nests” and lay them on a floured surface to dry for 30 minutes. Repeat with the remaining pasta dough.
How To Cook Fresh Pasta:
To cook fresh pasta, bring a large stockpot of generously-salted water to a rolling boil over high heat. Add in the fresh pasta, and then immediately begin to stir it gently so that the noodles do not stick together. Continue to cook until the pasta is al dente. (Keep a close eye on it — fresh pasta cooks much faster than dried pasta!) Then strain the fresh pasta and use immediately.
The cooking time for fresh pasta will depend entirely upon the thickness of the pasta, so be sure to check it regularly to see when it reaches the perfect al dente texture. When I roll pasta to setting 6 on my pasta maker, it generally takes about 90 seconds to cook.
How To Store Fresh Pasta:
Be sure to let the pasta air out on a drying rack or on a baking sheet for at least 30 minutes (or up to 2 hours). Transfer to an airtight container and either refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 2 weeks. To use frozen fresh pasta, transfer it to the refrigerator to thaw for at least 4-6 hours, then cook as usual.
Recipes To Make With Fresh Pasta:
Now for the best part — what to make with your gorgeous batch of fresh pasta! Feel free to browse our full pasta archives here on the blog, but below are a few of my personal faves.
My favorite 4-ingredient homemade pasta recipe — easy to make by hand, in a mixer, or in a food processor. See tips above for how to roll the pasta out either by hand, with a pasta maker, or with a stand mixer.
Add all ingredients to the bowl of a food processor, fitted with the normal blade attachment. Pulse for about 10 seconds, or until the mixture reaches a crumbly texture (see photos above).
Remove the dough and form it into a ball with your hands, then place the dough on a lightly-floured cutting board. Knead the dough for 1-2 minutes until it is smooth and elastic. (If the dough seems too dry, add in an extra tablespoon or two of water. If the dough seems wet or sticky, just add in some extra flour, but you the dough to be fairly dry.)
Form the dough into a ball with your hands and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. Let the dough rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. Use immediately or refrigerate for up to 1 day.
Roll out the pasta dough into your desired shape, either by hand or using a pasta maker (see notes above). Cook the pasta in a large pot of generously-salted boiling water until it is al dente, usually between 1-5 minutes depending on the thickness of your pasta. Drain and use immediately.
How To Make Pasta In A Stand Mixer:
Add all ingredients to the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the dough hook. Knead the dough on low speed for 8-10 minutes until it is smooth and elastic. (If the dough seems too dry, add in an extra tablespoon or two of water. If the dough seems wet or sticky, just add in some extra flour, but you the dough to be fairly dry.)
Form the dough into a ball with your hands and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. Let the dough rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. Use immediately or refrigerate for up to 1 day.
Roll out the pasta dough into your desired shape, either by hand or using a pasta maker (see notes above). Cook the pasta in a large pot of generously-salted boiling water until it is al dente, usually between 1-5 minutes depending on the thickness of your pasta. Drain and use immediately.
How To Make Pasta By Hand:
Place the flour in a mound on a large cutting board. Use your fingers or a spoon to create a good-sized well in the middle of the flour mound (kind of like a volcano). Add the eggs in the center of the well. Sprinkle the salt and drizzle the olive oil on top of the eggs.
Use a fork to begin whisking the eggs until they are combined. Then begin to gradually whisk some of the surrounding flour into the egg mixture, adding more and more until the egg mixture is nice and thick. (If some eggs accidentally spill out, no worries, just use your hands or a bench scraper to pull them back in.) Use your hands to fold in the rest of the dough until it forms a loose ball. Knead the dough for about 10 minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic, sprinkling some extra flour on the cutting board if needed to prevent sticking or if they dough seems too wet or sticky. (That said, if the dough seems too dry, add in an extra tablespoon or two of water, but you want the dough to be fairly dry.)
Form the dough into a ball with your hands and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. Let the dough rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. Use immediately or refrigerate for up to 1 day.
Roll out the pasta dough into your desired shape, either by hand or using a pasta maker (see notes above). Cook the pasta in a large pot of generously-salted boiling water until it is al dente, usually between 1-5 minutes depending on the thickness of your pasta. Drain and use immediately.
Flour: As mentioned in the post above, I most often make homemade pasta with “00” flour, which yields the silkiest pasta. But if I am making a sauce that is a bit more hearty, I will use half “00” and half semolina flour, which yields a pasta that is a bit more sturdy and also helps the sauce to cling to the pasta better. That said, any of the three flour options listed above will work well.
I made this pasta with half semolina and half 00 to have with my homemade marinara. It was so easy to work with. This is only my second time making homemade pasta. The first recipe I used was a pain. This recipe was super easy and I used my kitchen aid start to finish! My husband said this is the best spaghetti and meatballs he ever ate. Thank you for the great recipe!!!
Did you forget the water in the ingredients? My dough was like cornmeal until I added ~1/4 cup.
Jenny L —
Amazing. This really was as easy as the recipe described. I didn’t make any changes to the recipe other than to add dried spices to the pasta dough. Thank you for the detailed instructions.
Isabel —
had the same problem and adding 1/4 cup of water was a big difference ???
Mary —
That’s funny, I had the opposite problem. I added only three eggs and it was still almost too wet. The age of flour and size of eggs a really can make a huge difference, though.
Carlos Olivarez —
It could be that you did not knead it enough. I made mine by hand, exactly as it was written. It starts off a little dry and grainy but after a few minutes of kneading, it smoothed out. I stopped at 10 minutes and was as smooth as a baby’s bottom.
Morgan Funari —
Also can depend on where you live…. I live we’re it is very dry and I either add water or less flour. When I make it in Florida with my grandmother we added more flour. Dry and humidity make a difference. ?
Andrea —
Hi – I’m m going to make this for Easter, half 00 and half semolina. How much spinach should I add to make this spinach pasta? Thanks!
Thank you so much, this saved my life. I was so stressed but you made everything seem so easy, and you included all the situations and honestly you are a gem!
I made 2lbs of this for a family dinner; it turned out great and everyone loved it! 2lbs was enough for seven people, plus extra nests that I will freeze for later. I used a food processor to mix the ingredients together which was great, and hand-rolled the dough using a rolling pin. The pasta was a little thicker than I would have preferred, but I struggled a bit getting the pasta thin enough with just a rolling pin. Also, I used all-purpose flour which was what I had on hand. Overall, I’m happy with how it turned out being I had minimal equipment!
My darling and I have experimented with a few recipes and this is by far the best! Thank you so much for including instructions with a KitchenAid mixer!
I used samolina wheat flour and the dough mixture never balled up. It was like a somewhat thicker liquid. ?
Kyle —
I used this recipe with 3/4 cup semolina flour and 1-3/4 cup 00 flour and it was the best of 4 other recipes I’ve tried recently. Adding a little semolina in my opinion makes it a little easier to knead/ a little less dry. Knead for 10 minutes like the recipe says to make nice and smooth. This will probably be my go to recipe going forward.
I have made home made pasta many of times and have used different recipes but this is absolutely my favored recipe. I only use ‘00’ flour and refrigerate the wrapped dough overnight. When rolling out the pasta the next day I always sprinkle the counter top with semolina flour. This makes the process easier when rolling out the dough and makes the texture easy to process. Happy cooking and enjoy!
Hi! Love your recipe – my second time using it and made amazing pasta :) I use half semola and half all purpose flour. Question for you – is it better to freeze the dough in ball or already rolled out into pasta to store?
We have been home educating our young children for just over a month now and today I decided to teach them how to make their own pasta……. 4 hours later they ate their pasta for lunch. And so did my husband and I…..it was delicious, thanks for the recipe
I made the recipe exactly as-is in my food processor, only subbing four small duck eggs for the chicken eggs due to my chicken egg allergy. I was shocked when it came out of my food processor and the kneading process looking exactly like yours, supple and elastic and the loveliest golden yellow. The next step, after resting, of course, with the pasta roller was a mitigated success as it was my first time and I got weird shapes and tears, but the taste was fabulous. I have enough duck eggs left to make another batch, so I’m going to keep practicing!
Hi Ali – Wonderful recipe for fresh pasta! made 4 perfect portions. I used a mixture of flours; 1 cup semolina and 1 1/2 cup of Tipo 00. Because fresh pasta doesn’t need a lot of cooking time, it doesn’t give up much starch to the boiling water. If you’re using a sauce that relies on the integration of pasta water, you might want to cook that sauce for a longer period of time, to tighten it. But this recipe created a very smooth, easy to handle pasta dough. I rolled it and cut it by hand, and it was smooth and elastic. I didn’t dry it, and perhaps I will for the next batch. But thank you for this, I will make this again and again!
So easy to make using 00 Tipo flour which leaves your pasta silky smooth
A pasta maker isn’t a must but it makes the result much better due it producing a consistency you can’t get with a normal roller
Best recipe I’ve tried and I won’t need another
[1] … it takes a lot of scrolling to find the recipe.
[2] … semolina is an excellent addition; however, substituting “bread flour” instead of “0 0” is an excellent way to accomplish the same end, without semolina, which is hard to find.
[3] … all the VooDoo about food processors, crumbs, pulsing, is unnecessary. Just put the flour and salt in the bowl, squirt in a healthy amount of olive oil, then the 4 cracked eggs. Turn it on, and let it blend for about 15 seconds. Done.
[4] … the REAL test is how the crumbs hold together. If pressed between fingers and they want to fall apart again, then you need a couple of tablespoons of water. If however, they are gummy, then a quarter-cup of additional flour. REBLEND right in the food processor bowl. 5 more seconds. TEST AGAIN. Adjust if you need to. You ought not to need to.
[5] … once they stick together, then dump onto a kneading board. Knead for 30 seconds to 2 minutes … until a reasonably compact ball that doesn’t have bits falling off forms.
THE REST is just as per your article.
From the ‘bags and boxes’ of flour, eggs, and so on, to a ball of dough is less than 5 minutes, typically.
I appreciate you explaining the various ways pasta can be made. I enjoy homemade foods! I’ll make by hand and may also freeze the fresh pasta after rolled out.
Thank you for this recipe. I make this homemade pasta recipe at least once a week now and it is so easy to alter for laminated pastas and alternative flour pastas. I do have to change the amount of flour I use depending on the humidity of my house and the brand of the flour but otherwise this is a beautiful base recipe for egg pasta.
It was my first time making pasta with my new stand mixer and the final results were perfect! A little thick but unsure if it was the mixture of 00 and all purpose flour or I didn’t run it through the rolling attachment enough times. Trying with a different combination of flour today – let’s see how it goes. Can’t wait to try some sauce recipes too!
Love this recipe. It was simple and my pasta came out perfectly. I used 2 1/4 cup all purpose flour, and 1/4 cup semolina flour. I did all the kneading by hand, which is why I used a low ratio of semolina, as it becomes too difficult to knead otherwise. The only thing I changed was I added about twice the amount of olive oil, as it needed more for elasticity. The pasta was so sturdy that it handled beautifully, and had a wonderful texture. I will use this recipe again!
Great easy recipe & tasted delicious. My dough was made in about 10 minutes, quick & easy. The only thing was that my nests stuck together. I had to use a fork to try and pull them apart, unsuccessfully. Any suggestions? Thanks for the recipe. Will definitely make it again.
We just used your recipe to test out the noodle maker I got for Christmas. First try ever and the pasta came out great! My only comment was that the noodles tasted like they wanted salt, so next time I will either add more or salt the water a bit extra.
I have made so many of Ali’s recipes and they are always a huge hit! Tried making this pasta recipe in my stand mixer and the dough was super dry. I used semolina flour as I always do when I make it by hand. I needed to add 1/3 cup of water to get the right consistency. I’m wondering if I missed something?
My go to pasta recipe – super easy and delicious! I’ve made it by hand and also used the kitchen aid mixer and both were worked so well. I used half 00 and half all purpose flour and I loved the combo. Biggest tip is to weigh your flour! You’d be shocked how off your scoops of flour can be to how much you actually need.
I have been on a mission to find the best pasta recipe, and I honestly think I found it. This is truly a test kitchen pasta recipe. I love the flexibility in the flours and methods offered here. The ratio of eggs to flour is great. I didn’t end up with a sticky mess or a dough that wouldn’t come together. I tried it in the food processor and it was so easy!
I used half semolina and half AP flour. I made a simple spaghetti and I served it with Marcella Hazan’s Tomato Sauce, which is our favorite. The semolina flour gave it great texture and it held onto the sauce really well.
For those who are struggling with the dough, really pay attention to her tips and the photos. The dough should be dry, not super sticky. If it’s too wet, it will be a pain to work with when you’re rolling it out and cutting, and the noodles will stick together. Egg size matters, so if you’ve got three that are basically the same size and one random giant one, you’ll probably have to add an extra tablespoon or two of flour. All of the advice in this recipe is spot on.
This is a solid recipe, and I see much more fresh pasta in our future. Next time I’m breaking out the ravioli molds!
I’ve been trying different pasta recipes for the last year and with this one the search is over. I ended up kneading it by hand because the stand mixer was so ineffective but that was a small price to pay. I ended up using 1.5 cups semolina and 1 cup 00 flour and the texture was perfect. Thank you!
Excited to try out this recipe, curious if there’s a way to fully dry these for longer term storage say in airtight jars? I’d like to make batches that last longer than 2 weeks. Thank you in advance!
I like this as a good base recipe. I’ve made it dozens of times, but have never been able to successfully make it “as written”. I think it’s definitely good guidelines though, and with a discerning enough eye, and with enough experience, one should be able to identify areas of deficiency and make changes as needed.
This was my first time making fresh pasta and this recipe and the instructions lay it out so well. I used 1 cup of semolina and 1.5 of AP flour. I added 1 tbsp of water while kneading the dough. It took about 3 minutes to cook and was perfectly al dente. I’m so excited to know I can freeze it too. Thanks for making this so easy to follow.
The only pasta recipe I use now. I use all purpose flour and it’s fine but would probably be over the top if you used semolina. I always make 100 by hand and it’s practically impossible to over mix. I’ve strayed and tried other recipes but none are as reliable as this one.
Best blog and pasta tutorial EVER!!!! Thank you!!!! The directions were clear abs you had directions for every possible scenario!!!! Well done and many thanks!!!
I followed the recipe to a T, and the dough handled great. However when cooked, it turned out with more of an egg noodle consistency than a spaghetti. Going back to my old recipe. It’s a good egg noodle though.
This is an amazing recipe. I am not Italian, but love pasta and I use this recipe every time. I even ship it out to neighbours for their opinions.
I am still in the experimental stage with flour and combinations.
All purpose is good. All purpose with Semolina a bit better when you need the sauce to adhere. Now trying all purpose with 00.
Only change is I added an egg yolk to the 4 eggs and it rolls out well. I use a Food Processor and Atlas pasta Machine. Highly recommend this recipe.
We LOVE this recipe, it always comes out smooth and easy to roll (we’ve had trouble with that when using other recipes). Because it’s so smooth, it’s also very easy to add in fresh herbs during the lamination phase and make herbed pasta- so tasty!!! We typically just use all-purpose flour and it works like a gem. We’ve used this for ravioli too and it holds up well with something like that too! Zero complaints
Just ordered a pasta machine looking forward to trying this recipe
CJ McPherson-Heaney —
Hi Julie,
My go to pasta recipe also includes kosher salt. Easy on the kosher salt, but like you said it just needs a little bit of it. I began making pasta after I retired in June of 2014. Best two things I ever did in life – retire and start making pasta!
I hope you’ve gone on and made raviolis. Just so much fun.
CJ McPherson-Heaney —
Hi Peter,
So glad to hear you’re getting a pasta machine. Though I use the pasta attachments in my Kitchen aid stand-up mixer, I still love using my little hand crank Atlas pasta maker. Enjoy!
I halved the recipe
Perhaps too much flour?
Smaller eggs than recipe anticipated
I blended rather than blitzed
For more than 10 seconds (was waiting for the dough to get crumbly, but obviously due to above possible reasons, the dough never became crumbly)
My mother used to make homemade pasta so velvety smooth. Never found anything comparable after she passed, and didn’t know why. I also did not get the recipe. A few years ago, a childhood friend happened to mention that she had my mom’s recipe for fettuccine and I found the reason. Not only was it almost identical to this, but she used cornstarch instead of flour for dusting while shaping the noodles. Perfection!!
I have just started making pasta at home and am equally excited by the results! I have some issues with the pasta sticking together once it’s cut into shape and set out on a plate. Is it that I’m not using enough flour when I roll it out and cut it?
I’d appreciate any insight on this!
Thank you!!
Tom B —
I just made my first batch and I made it waaay dryer than you would think it should be. But when you keep passing it through the roller it just comes to where you want it to be. Try making it much drier than your normal doughs. My two cents.
Wonderful explanations and options. I really enjoyed learning the various ways you can make the pasta in addition to reading all the comments/suggestions. Thank you!
I made this pasta with half semolina and half 00 to have with my homemade marinara. It was so easy to work with. This is only my second time making homemade pasta. The first recipe I used was a pain. This recipe was super easy and I used my kitchen aid start to finish! My husband said this is the best spaghetti and meatballs he ever ate. Thank you for the great recipe!!!
Sensacional! Gratidão por compartilhar suas aprendizagens!
Did you forget the water in the ingredients? My dough was like cornmeal until I added ~1/4 cup.
Amazing. This really was as easy as the recipe described. I didn’t make any changes to the recipe other than to add dried spices to the pasta dough. Thank you for the detailed instructions.
had the same problem and adding 1/4 cup of water was a big difference ???
That’s funny, I had the opposite problem. I added only three eggs and it was still almost too wet. The age of flour and size of eggs a really can make a huge difference, though.
It could be that you did not knead it enough. I made mine by hand, exactly as it was written. It starts off a little dry and grainy but after a few minutes of kneading, it smoothed out. I stopped at 10 minutes and was as smooth as a baby’s bottom.
Also can depend on where you live…. I live we’re it is very dry and I either add water or less flour. When I make it in Florida with my grandmother we added more flour. Dry and humidity make a difference. ?
Hi – I’m m going to make this for Easter, half 00 and half semolina. How much spinach should I add to make this spinach pasta? Thanks!
Thank you so much, this saved my life. I was so stressed but you made everything seem so easy, and you included all the situations and honestly you are a gem!
Very easy recipe which I make about once a week or every two. It is very good and I use 50% semolina and 00.
What would the suggestion be if I wanted to make a spinach noodle or other noodle with this recipe?
I made 2lbs of this for a family dinner; it turned out great and everyone loved it! 2lbs was enough for seven people, plus extra nests that I will freeze for later. I used a food processor to mix the ingredients together which was great, and hand-rolled the dough using a rolling pin. The pasta was a little thicker than I would have preferred, but I struggled a bit getting the pasta thin enough with just a rolling pin. Also, I used all-purpose flour which was what I had on hand. Overall, I’m happy with how it turned out being I had minimal equipment!
Best Fresh Pasta Recipe Ever!
My darling and I have experimented with a few recipes and this is by far the best! Thank you so much for including instructions with a KitchenAid mixer!
Best pasta recipe so far!
Awesome recipe! My pasta came out perfect and was so easy to make, once you get the hang of using a pasta maker.
Used your recipe, didn’t change it up. Mixed and cut by hand. Worked out beautifully. Thank you!
I used samolina wheat flour and the dough mixture never balled up. It was like a somewhat thicker liquid. ?
I used this recipe with 3/4 cup semolina flour and 1-3/4 cup 00 flour and it was the best of 4 other recipes I’ve tried recently. Adding a little semolina in my opinion makes it a little easier to knead/ a little less dry. Knead for 10 minutes like the recipe says to make nice and smooth. This will probably be my go to recipe going forward.
I have made home made pasta many of times and have used different recipes but this is absolutely my favored recipe. I only use ‘00’ flour and refrigerate the wrapped dough overnight. When rolling out the pasta the next day I always sprinkle the counter top with semolina flour. This makes the process easier when rolling out the dough and makes the texture easy to process. Happy cooking and enjoy!
Hi! Love your recipe – my second time using it and made amazing pasta :) I use half semola and half all purpose flour. Question for you – is it better to freeze the dough in ball or already rolled out into pasta to store?
We have been home educating our young children for just over a month now and today I decided to teach them how to make their own pasta……. 4 hours later they ate their pasta for lunch. And so did my husband and I…..it was delicious, thanks for the recipe
I made the recipe exactly as-is in my food processor, only subbing four small duck eggs for the chicken eggs due to my chicken egg allergy. I was shocked when it came out of my food processor and the kneading process looking exactly like yours, supple and elastic and the loveliest golden yellow. The next step, after resting, of course, with the pasta roller was a mitigated success as it was my first time and I got weird shapes and tears, but the taste was fabulous. I have enough duck eggs left to make another batch, so I’m going to keep practicing!
You say to use the “regular ” blade with the food processor the steel cuttings blade not the plastic dough blade? Thanks Dave
How many portions does this recipe make?
Thanks!
This was a horrible recipe. Too much olive oil. Had to add at least 3/4 cup of flour to dry it out. Won’t be using this b one anymore.
Hi Ali – Wonderful recipe for fresh pasta! made 4 perfect portions. I used a mixture of flours; 1 cup semolina and 1 1/2 cup of Tipo 00. Because fresh pasta doesn’t need a lot of cooking time, it doesn’t give up much starch to the boiling water. If you’re using a sauce that relies on the integration of pasta water, you might want to cook that sauce for a longer period of time, to tighten it. But this recipe created a very smooth, easy to handle pasta dough. I rolled it and cut it by hand, and it was smooth and elastic. I didn’t dry it, and perhaps I will for the next batch. But thank you for this, I will make this again and again!
So easy to make using 00 Tipo flour which leaves your pasta silky smooth
A pasta maker isn’t a must but it makes the result much better due it producing a consistency you can’t get with a normal roller
Best recipe I’ve tried and I won’t need another
It is all very good.
[1] … it takes a lot of scrolling to find the recipe.
[2] … semolina is an excellent addition; however, substituting “bread flour” instead of “0 0” is an excellent way to accomplish the same end, without semolina, which is hard to find.
[3] … all the VooDoo about food processors, crumbs, pulsing, is unnecessary. Just put the flour and salt in the bowl, squirt in a healthy amount of olive oil, then the 4 cracked eggs. Turn it on, and let it blend for about 15 seconds. Done.
[4] … the REAL test is how the crumbs hold together. If pressed between fingers and they want to fall apart again, then you need a couple of tablespoons of water. If however, they are gummy, then a quarter-cup of additional flour. REBLEND right in the food processor bowl. 5 more seconds. TEST AGAIN. Adjust if you need to. You ought not to need to.
[5] … once they stick together, then dump onto a kneading board. Knead for 30 seconds to 2 minutes … until a reasonably compact ball that doesn’t have bits falling off forms.
THE REST is just as per your article.
From the ‘bags and boxes’ of flour, eggs, and so on, to a ball of dough is less than 5 minutes, typically.
I appreciate you explaining the various ways pasta can be made. I enjoy homemade foods! I’ll make by hand and may also freeze the fresh pasta after rolled out.
Thank you for this recipe. I make this homemade pasta recipe at least once a week now and it is so easy to alter for laminated pastas and alternative flour pastas. I do have to change the amount of flour I use depending on the humidity of my house and the brand of the flour but otherwise this is a beautiful base recipe for egg pasta.
It was my first time making pasta with my new stand mixer and the final results were perfect! A little thick but unsure if it was the mixture of 00 and all purpose flour or I didn’t run it through the rolling attachment enough times. Trying with a different combination of flour today – let’s see how it goes. Can’t wait to try some sauce recipes too!
Love this recipe. It was simple and my pasta came out perfectly. I used 2 1/4 cup all purpose flour, and 1/4 cup semolina flour. I did all the kneading by hand, which is why I used a low ratio of semolina, as it becomes too difficult to knead otherwise. The only thing I changed was I added about twice the amount of olive oil, as it needed more for elasticity. The pasta was so sturdy that it handled beautifully, and had a wonderful texture. I will use this recipe again!
Great easy recipe & tasted delicious. My dough was made in about 10 minutes, quick & easy. The only thing was that my nests stuck together. I had to use a fork to try and pull them apart, unsuccessfully. Any suggestions? Thanks for the recipe. Will definitely make it again.
We just used your recipe to test out the noodle maker I got for Christmas. First try ever and the pasta came out great! My only comment was that the noodles tasted like they wanted salt, so next time I will either add more or salt the water a bit extra.
I have made so many of Ali’s recipes and they are always a huge hit! Tried making this pasta recipe in my stand mixer and the dough was super dry. I used semolina flour as I always do when I make it by hand. I needed to add 1/3 cup of water to get the right consistency. I’m wondering if I missed something?
My go to pasta recipe – super easy and delicious! I’ve made it by hand and also used the kitchen aid mixer and both were worked so well. I used half 00 and half all purpose flour and I loved the combo. Biggest tip is to weigh your flour! You’d be shocked how off your scoops of flour can be to how much you actually need.
I have been on a mission to find the best pasta recipe, and I honestly think I found it. This is truly a test kitchen pasta recipe. I love the flexibility in the flours and methods offered here. The ratio of eggs to flour is great. I didn’t end up with a sticky mess or a dough that wouldn’t come together. I tried it in the food processor and it was so easy!
I used half semolina and half AP flour. I made a simple spaghetti and I served it with Marcella Hazan’s Tomato Sauce, which is our favorite. The semolina flour gave it great texture and it held onto the sauce really well.
For those who are struggling with the dough, really pay attention to her tips and the photos. The dough should be dry, not super sticky. If it’s too wet, it will be a pain to work with when you’re rolling it out and cutting, and the noodles will stick together. Egg size matters, so if you’ve got three that are basically the same size and one random giant one, you’ll probably have to add an extra tablespoon or two of flour. All of the advice in this recipe is spot on.
This is a solid recipe, and I see much more fresh pasta in our future. Next time I’m breaking out the ravioli molds!
My daughter used this recipe for the first time and the second she finished baking it everyone finished it in 2 min
I’ve been trying different pasta recipes for the last year and with this one the search is over. I ended up kneading it by hand because the stand mixer was so ineffective but that was a small price to pay. I ended up using 1.5 cups semolina and 1 cup 00 flour and the texture was perfect. Thank you!
Excited to try out this recipe, curious if there’s a way to fully dry these for longer term storage say in airtight jars? I’d like to make batches that last longer than 2 weeks. Thank you in advance!
I like this as a good base recipe. I’ve made it dozens of times, but have never been able to successfully make it “as written”. I think it’s definitely good guidelines though, and with a discerning enough eye, and with enough experience, one should be able to identify areas of deficiency and make changes as needed.
This was my first time making fresh pasta and this recipe and the instructions lay it out so well. I used 1 cup of semolina and 1.5 of AP flour. I added 1 tbsp of water while kneading the dough. It took about 3 minutes to cook and was perfectly al dente. I’m so excited to know I can freeze it too. Thanks for making this so easy to follow.
The only pasta recipe I use now. I use all purpose flour and it’s fine but would probably be over the top if you used semolina. I always make 100 by hand and it’s practically impossible to over mix. I’ve strayed and tried other recipes but none are as reliable as this one.
Best blog and pasta tutorial EVER!!!! Thank you!!!! The directions were clear abs you had directions for every possible scenario!!!! Well done and many thanks!!!
I followed the recipe to a T, and the dough handled great. However when cooked, it turned out with more of an egg noodle consistency than a spaghetti. Going back to my old recipe. It’s a good egg noodle though.
This is an amazing recipe. I am not Italian, but love pasta and I use this recipe every time. I even ship it out to neighbours for their opinions.
I am still in the experimental stage with flour and combinations.
All purpose is good. All purpose with Semolina a bit better when you need the sauce to adhere. Now trying all purpose with 00.
Only change is I added an egg yolk to the 4 eggs and it rolls out well. I use a Food Processor and Atlas pasta Machine. Highly recommend this recipe.
We LOVE this recipe, it always comes out smooth and easy to roll (we’ve had trouble with that when using other recipes). Because it’s so smooth, it’s also very easy to add in fresh herbs during the lamination phase and make herbed pasta- so tasty!!! We typically just use all-purpose flour and it works like a gem. We’ve used this for ravioli too and it holds up well with something like that too! Zero complaints
Just ordered a pasta machine looking forward to trying this recipe
Hi Julie,
My go to pasta recipe also includes kosher salt. Easy on the kosher salt, but like you said it just needs a little bit of it. I began making pasta after I retired in June of 2014. Best two things I ever did in life – retire and start making pasta!
I hope you’ve gone on and made raviolis. Just so much fun.
Hi Peter,
So glad to hear you’re getting a pasta machine. Though I use the pasta attachments in my Kitchen aid stand-up mixer, I still love using my little hand crank Atlas pasta maker. Enjoy!
We did it with a food processor and rolled by hand and it came out perfectly! Can’t wait to make it again!
This was a complete fail for me
A few things I could have done wrong..
I halved the recipe
Perhaps too much flour?
Smaller eggs than recipe anticipated
I blended rather than blitzed
For more than 10 seconds (was waiting for the dough to get crumbly, but obviously due to above possible reasons, the dough never became crumbly)
The dough was thick and could not be rolled out
How much does this recipe make?
Very perfect recipe! Thank you!
My mother used to make homemade pasta so velvety smooth. Never found anything comparable after she passed, and didn’t know why. I also did not get the recipe. A few years ago, a childhood friend happened to mention that she had my mom’s recipe for fettuccine and I found the reason. Not only was it almost identical to this, but she used cornstarch instead of flour for dusting while shaping the noodles. Perfection!!
I have just started making pasta at home and am equally excited by the results! I have some issues with the pasta sticking together once it’s cut into shape and set out on a plate. Is it that I’m not using enough flour when I roll it out and cut it?
I’d appreciate any insight on this!
Thank you!!
I just made my first batch and I made it waaay dryer than you would think it should be. But when you keep passing it through the roller it just comes to where you want it to be. Try making it much drier than your normal doughs. My two cents.
Wonderful explanations and options. I really enjoyed learning the various ways you can make the pasta in addition to reading all the comments/suggestions. Thank you!
Can anyone give me an exact amount of flour rather than cups , thank you !
The recipe lookes like it will be easy to make cant wait to try it