Homemade Pasta Dough Recipe | Easy Fresh Pasta from Scratch
Silky, springy homemade pasta dough made from simple pantry staples with step-by-step guidance for mixing, kneading, resting, and rolling. No machine required, and the fresh noodles cook in just minutes.
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour or Italian 00 flour
- 1/2 cup (60 g) fine semolina flour (optional but recommended)
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1–2 teaspoons water, only if needed for dry dough
- Flour, for dusting
Instructions
Instructions
- Combine the all-purpose flour, semolina, and salt in a bowl and make a well in the center.
- Add the eggs, extra yolk, and olive oil to the well, beat with a fork, then gradually incorporate the flour until a shaggy dough forms, adding water a teaspoon at a time only if very dry.
- Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface, gather into a ball, and knead for 8–10 minutes until smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky; it should slowly spring back when pressed.
- Wrap the dough tightly or cover in a sealed container and rest at room temperature for 30–45 minutes.
- Divide the dough into 4 pieces and keep covered to prevent drying.
- For a pasta machine, flatten a piece and roll through the widest setting, folding in thirds and repeating 2–3 times, then reduce the setting one notch at a time to 1–2 mm for noodles or slightly thicker for lasagna.
- For rolling by hand, dust with flour and roll from the center outward, rotating often, until very thin and nearly translucent.
- Dust the sheet with flour, fold loosely, and slice to desired widths for fettuccine, tagliatelle, or pappardelle, or leave sheets whole for lasagna; toss cut noodles with flour or semolina and form loose nests.
- Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a rolling boil, cook the pasta for 2–3 minutes until al dente, reserve some pasta water, drain, and toss with sauce and a splash of pasta water.
Notes
Makes about 4 modest portions or 3 generous portions. Humidity may affect dough; add a few drops of water on dry days or dust with flour on humid days. Knead until smooth and elastic, and always rest the dough before rolling. Store uncut dough wrapped in the fridge up to 24 hours or freeze up to 2 months; thaw in the fridge. For cut noodles, refrigerate up to 24 hours, freeze up to 2 months and boil from frozen with 30–60 seconds extra, or dry completely and store up to 1 month (cook 5–7 minutes). Variations: add herbs, spinach, lemon zest and pepper, or swap part of the flour with whole-wheat or more semolina.